District 14
by Banana2266
Summary: "So Link is still alive." He said. "I guess that can make sense. I saw him in the training area. He was so strong, but so... Sad. Scared. I'm still surprised all the same." "Now we have to kill him." Said Katniss, somewhat sadly. "Just one more tribute, and we'll be free." Zelink and Everlark
1. Prologue

Hello! I'm HeroofTime73, and this is my very first crossover! a few things you should know:

the lengths of the chapters will probably vary

I'm not the best author

thanks for reading!

* * *

The day of the reaping.

This reaping is taking place in district 14, the iron working district. Men and women gathered, waiting for the dreaded event to start. Most people were hoping to not get their name drawn from the glass ball. It would mean having to kill or be killed. Not everybody liked that picture. Thankfully only two people were drawn from the glass ball, one male, the other female. But, obviously no one knew who was going to be picked.

One man, rather tall, thin but muscular, sand blond hair, feral blue eyes, and naturally pointed ears, (which were both peirced, and had blue hoop earrings) stood in the crowd like everybody else. He had no family, and truthfully, hardly any friends. He had been dreading this day of the year pretty much all his life, more specifically the past six years, ever since he was old enough to fight in the hunger games. He was seventeen now. One more year and he can have his peace. Most of it, anyway.

He watched as the ridiculously dressed woman (ridiculously dressed in the man's opinion) walked on the stage. He paid no attention to everything she said. It was only when she said "ladies first" that the young man listened.

The woman reached a hand into the glass ball that contained all the females' names. She picked a slip of paper, and brought it to the front of the stage. She read the slip out loud.

"Renee Johnson!" A girl with short, brown hair, about the age of the man, hesitantly stepped up. She looked rather scared.

"Any volunteers?" Asked the woman. No one stepped forward. The woman smiled. "Lovely. Now it's time to draw the next young man to fight in the hunger games." She walked over to the males' glass ball.

The young man in the crowd unknowingly held his breath as the woman reached into the ball. She pulled out the slip of paper, and brought it to the front of the stage. In a loud, clear voice she named the male tribute.

"Link Avalon!"

The man gasped. _Link Avalon. No._

When no one stepped forward, the woman said again, "Link Avalon?"

Slowly, the young man revealed himself. He kept walking at that same pace, until he finally made it onstage. "Ah, there you are!" The woman told him. "Any volunteers?" Again, no one stepped forward. "Very well. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the seventy fourth hunger games tributes of district 14, Renee Johnson, and Link Avalon."

* * *

very short chapter, I know. warning: most of them will be like that. R&R plz!


	2. Chapter 1

this is an even shorter chapter than the last. plz forgive me.

Also, this might not be true, I need people to tell me otherwise, but I think that my writing might get better as the story proceeds. And I mean much further in the book. I've still got a lot of mistakes that I am bad at catching, but I really do think it gets better. Plz let me know if I'm wrong. Thank you!

* * *

Katniss and Peeta heard the cannon go off. Besides themselves, there were only two tributes left, and now one of them was dead. The two looked at each other.

"Wonder who that was?" Asked Peeta.

"Probably that district 14 guy, what was his name again?" Replied Katniss.

"I think it was Link, or something like that. But remember, we don't know if it's actually him who died." Peeta responded. "Guess we'll see who it was tonight."

* * *

That evening, they both looked up at the sky, waiting for night to fall. Finally, the national anthem started to play, and only one face appeared in the sky. That one face belonged to...

"Cato!?" Peeta and Katniss exclaimed at the same time.

"How did he die!?" Cried Katniss. Peeta just shook his head.

"So Link is still alive." He said. "I guess that can make sense. I saw him in the training area. He was so strong, but so... Sad. Scared. I'm still surprised all the same."

"Now we have to kill him." Said Katniss, somewhat sadly. "Just one more tribute, and we'll be free."

"Get some sleep. We'll need to find him tomorrow." Peeta told her. She agreed.

* * *

While trying to sleep, thoughts rushed through Katniss' head. It must have been Link who had killed Cato. But, who knows? Maybe he ate some nightlock, just like Foxface, and died. Who cares. If Katniss wants to get herself and Peeta out, Link must die.

They start their search tomorrow.

* * *

I got nuthin' feel free to R&R


	3. Chapter 2

okay! I really don't know what to put in these author's notes, so I'm just going to stop talking now.

* * *

Katniss and Peeta woke the next morning to find all of the water dried out of the place.

"The lake. That's where they want us to go." Said Peeta. Katniss agreed. There was no cover by the lake. A battle to the death was sure to take place there.

"Let's go now while we've had food and rest." Peeta again spoke. Katniss nodded.

They followed their mental path to the lake, where they were sure they would find Link. When they reached the plain, evening had already begun. The Cornucopia in the center was a perfect hiding place for a foe, so they circled around. It was empty. They crossed over to the lake, and filled their water containers. Then they sat.

After a while, Katniss sang Rue's song to the mockingjays in the trees. The birds repeated it. But when the mockingjays' voices suddenly shrieked, Peeta and Katniss found themselves on their feet, weapons ready.

Link suddenly crashed through the trees. It was funny, his body looked as though hunger had no effect on him. His sword was strapped to his back.

Somehow, he dodged the first arrow Katniss shot at him. He shouted something at the two. They couldn't hear him, but when he pointed behind himself and shouted the same word a second time, they got the message.

Link was shouting the word "mutts."

And the mutts came.

As soon as Link passed the two, Katniss and Peeta found themselves running after him.

* * *

Link looked back at the two who were following him. He found that the young woman had shot down a mutt attacking the other man, who was further back than Link would've hoped. He heard the man urge the woman forward. Soon she and Link had made it to the Cornucopia. Both began to climb it.

Now at the top, Link looked over to see how the man was doing. He nearly made it to the Cornucopia. Out of the corner of his eye, he found the woman aiming an arrow at himself. He faced her, making no move to attack or defend. The woman suddenly lowered her weapon when she heard the man below cry out. He had just reached the tail of the horn.

"Climb!" The woman cried.

* * *

Katniss tried shooting at the mutts that were trying to pull Peeta down. It didn't seem to be working. _I'm not going be able to get up there._ Thought Peeta. _I'll die down here..._

Suddenly, a hand was extended towards him from above. Peeta looked up. The hand did not belong to Katniss.

"Come on!" Link yelled to him to grab on. Peeta gave him a confused look. So did Katniss. "If you don't trust me, then you'll die either way! Come on!" Link practically roared. Peeta gave in, and grabbed ahold of the outstretched hand. Before he knew it, he was being pulled to the top. Soon, he was there. He felt Katniss' arms wrap around him for a brief moment. The anthem played, and night fell.

* * *

Katniss was now able to make out the details of each individual mutt as they assembled together. They communicated for a bit, and then a good sized mutt took a running head start, and tried to jump onto the Cornucopia. Katniss suddenly heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. She glanced back to see Link with his sword in his hand, ready to attack the attackers.

Katniss looked back at the attacking mutt, and realized something the other two hadn't figured out yet. She shrieked, and shot at the mutt.

"Katniss?" Peeta gripped her arm. Link too looked back at them with worry.

"It's her!" Katniss managed to get out.

"Who?" Link and Peeta asked in unison. They watched as Katniss' eyes darted over the mutt pack.

"It's them. It's all of them. The others. Rue and Foxface and... all of the other tributes." Peeta gasped at the words.

The tribute mutts split, and one group circled over to the other side of the Cornucopia. They used their powerful legs to launch themselves at the three people.

* * *

Katniss was right. Link nearly cried out in fright when he found the mutt that looked like Cato. He glanced around some more. He spotted Peeta getting pulled over the edge of the golden Cornucopia's surface.

* * *

Peeta suddenly found himself being pulled over the edge by a mutt, a sharp pain on his leg. His grip on Katniss' arm grew tighter as he cried out. Katniss began to slip as the mutt pulled harder on his leg.

"No!" He heard Link cry. Link grabbed onto Katniss's other arm and began to pull

"Kill it, Peeta! Kill it!" Katniss screamed. Finally they managed to haul Peeta onto the golden horn.

Katniss shot another arrow at the mutt that looked like Thresh. She had two arrows left.

Peeta, now laying on the horn, gripped his bleeding leg. Katniss also held his leg. She looked up at Link, who sat there, his eyes resting upon Peeta in worry. But why worry? Link was supposed to kill the two of them, not save them! He looked up at Katniss. The two were still staring at each other. Only, now Peeta had joined in the staring. Katniss suddenly remembered Peeta, and took a look at his leg. So did Link. Nobody had supplies with them. Katniss removed her shirt, and tied it around the wounded leg, using an arrow to keep it together. Link moved in closer.

The mutts continued trying to kill them. Link just remembered this, and started slashing at them as they came.

This lasted for hours.

Finally the sun started to rise, and the remaining mutts ran back into the trees.

* * *

After another five minutes or so, Link jumped down to the ground. He waited, his sword at the ready. When the mutts didn't come back, he turned. "It's safe to come down now." He said. He distanced himself from the Cornucopia, as if to say "I won't attack." He sheathed his sword.

The two hesitated, then fell off, their limbs stiff.

Link turned his back to them. An uncomfortable silence followed for the next few minutes.

"Why did you help us?" He heard Katniss break the silence behind him.

"I don't like death." Was the reply.

"But-" said Peeta. "-you worked so hard in the training area. You're sword skills were amazing. Your archery skills were great. Your wrestling skills were beyond compare. Did you do all that, just to have you _not_ kill?" Link sighed.

"Those skills were for hunting and emergencies. I was in an emergency two days ago when Cato found where I slept. Even killing _him_ was not enjoyable."

"How did you kill him?" Asked Katniss.

"Beheading him. That is my least favorite way of killing, but I had no choice."

There was a second uncomfortable silence following those words. Katniss again decided to break it.

"What now?" She asked.

Link puffed slightly. "What now?" He faced the two, his eyes terribly sad. "Your going to have to kill me." Katniss and Peeta said nothing as their shocked eyes watched Link as he took the sword off his back and threw it off to the side where he couldn't reach it. He stood there. Waiting.

Katniss recovered first. "No! I won't do that! Not after everything you've done for us!" Peeta agreed with a nod.

Link shook his head. "Do you two want to get out of this game or not? This is the only way."

"What about your family?" Asked Katniss.

"Family?" Link replied. "What family? Surely not mine, I haven't got one." The other two stood speechless.

"Isn't there a girl out there? That you want to be with?" Peeta asked. Link lowered her head.

"One." He said. "But I don't deserve her. Not only is she beautiful, but she's the mayor's daughter. Me? I'm just a simple goatherd." Link shook his head as he looked up. "Besides, look at you two. You need each other, but you don't need me."

He watched Katniss as she hesitantly pulled a small bag out of her pocket. She took something out of it.

"What is that?" Link asked.

"Nightlock." She answered. She held it out. Link walked over, and took some. Peeta spoke.

"I want some too. I think... No, I _know_ there is something wrong with that "two tributes from the same district can live" rule." Katniss' eyes widened.

"I won't let you do that!... I'll take some as well. I wouldn't be happy if you were dead and I wasn't."

Link's shoulders sagged. "Thank you." He whispered. They smiled at him as they divided at the nightlock amongst themselves.

"On three." Said Katniss. Peeta kissed her, locking her hand with his.

"One..." Katniss started

"Two..." Said Peeta.

Link inhaled. "... Three." He finished.

They lifted the berries into their mouths. They stopped as soon as they heard the trumpets blaze.

"Stop! Stop!" Came the voice of Claudius Templesmith from above them. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of the seventy fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, and Link Avalon! I give you, the tributes of District Twelve and District Fourteen!"

* * *

I understand, that last part was somewhat cheesy. I couldn't think of any other way for all three of them to agree on eating the berries. R&R plz!


	4. Chapter 3

this chapter is...I don't know, probably boring, too fast, something wrong with it as always, etc.

* * *

Link found himself spitting the berries right out. He continued to spit, trying to get all of the juice out of his mouth. He looked over to see the other two were doing the same. _Good._ He thought. _I didn't mean for them to die right after I saved them._

He watched as the two hugged each other. Above, he could hear the roar of the crowd that was being played live. Hands were felt being placed on his shoulders. He looked down to find that the hands belonged to Katniss and Peeta, who were still gripping each other. Link smiled sadly as he hugged them back.

The hovercraft came and dropped three ladders. One of the ladders went unused, for Katniss helped Peeta onto the same ladder she was using. Link grabbed the rung of the ladder closest to the two. The electric current froze the new victors in place, and pulled them up. As soon as the door closed behind them, Peeta fell unconscious because of the blood still pouring out of his leg, despite the tourniquet Katniss used. The doctors took him away, and went to work on him immediately

Link laid there, his cheek pressed against the floor. He never had the chance to just lay there, relaxing, in weeks. It felt wonderful. Then he saw Katniss lunge at the doctors. He couldn't blame her. She felt she was still in the games.

Before long, Link felt himself being pulled into another room, Katniss along with him. As a little treat, they were given beverages. Yay.

* * *

Katniss sat there and watched the doctors work at Peeta through the glass door. Link remained on the floor, his stomach facing down, eyes closed. His eyes shot back open when he heard loud thumping. The source of the sound was Katniss hurtling herself against the door. He made no move to stop her, when the needle jabbed him from behind.

* * *

Link woke to find himself in a blank room. No doors or windows could be seen. He saw different tubes connected to his right arm. He suddenly realized he was naked, but covered by bedsheets, which felt quite good.

An Avox man walked through a portion of the wall that slid open for him. He carried a tray with food, and set it across Link's thighs. He pushed a button that rose the bed to a sitting-upright position. Link somehow managed to smile sadly at the Avox, thanking him silently. The Avox stared at him for a bit, then placed a rather comforting hand on his shoulder. Then he left.

Link ate his food. When he finished, he did some thinking. Finally he'd be able to go home! See the ones he loved! The person he mostly wanted to see... What would she say? Link had said himself that he didn't deserve her. Did she think otherwise?

Zelda...

Link lost consciousness.

* * *

This would happen every day. He woke. Was fed. Lost consciousness. He never tried to get out of the bed, for a strong band was wrapped around his waist, preventing him from leaving.

One day, Link woke to find the band removed. He got up, and dressed into the outfit laid at the foot of his bed, which was the uniform the tributes wore in the arena.

He walked through the door to find a blank hall. There must be other doors though, ones that held Peeta and Katniss behind them.

Eventually Link found his mentors, escort, and everybody else. Link asked them where the other two victors were. He was thankful to hear that they were alright. They were going to do their reunion live on television. Soon he was swept off by his stylist and prep team. He needed to look amazing for the crowd. The prep team started to get Link ready.

Soon enough, Link's stylist came back, some green outfit bundled in his arms. "Change into this." He said, passing Link the bundle of clothes. He did so. When he realized what they were, Link gasped. His stylist smiled.

"That's right." He said calmly. "After you came back alive, I figured something heroic would suit you. So I picked the clothes that the hero wore. You are his descendant after all."

Link looked in the mirror. He was clad in the green of the forest, just like his ancestor, the hero. He wore a green tunic, light brown pants, golden chainmail, and a pointed hat, matching his tunic. On his feet were brown leather boots, and on his hands were brown gauntlets, the one one his right having an arm guard. He really did look like the hero.

"Thank you." He said.

"No problem. It's showtime." His stylist replied.

* * *

Yep! there's the next chapter. continue reading if you are interested at all. I'm sure most of you aren't. R&R plz!


	5. Chapter 4

In this chapter, you are going to learn what Link did in the games, and in things before that. Like the chariots, and the interviews, etc.

* * *

Link was led into a room with a new metal plate that would transport him upward. To his right he saw a makeshift wall that probably had one of the other victors behind it.

Link listened to the sounds above, where the stage was. The roar of the crowd. Caesar Flickerman's greetings. The escorts and mentors being introduced. And finally-

He felt the metal plate below him rise.

Before long, he found himself on the stage, lights blaring, deafening crowd. He stood before it all.

He looked to his right. There, he found Katniss standing, and beyond her stood Peeta. They both looked like they were clothed in candlelight.

Link watched as Katniss leaped into Peeta's arms. Of course, Peeta immediately started kissing her. Link laughed, clapped, and wolf whistled, as did the rest of the crowd. The crowd chanted their names. After about five minutes of this, Katniss and Peeta walked over to Link.

"That outfit really suits you Link. You look amazing!" Exclaimed Katniss. "You look even more adventurous than before!" Peeta agreed to her words with a nod. Link laughed.

"That's probably because they were designed after my ancestor's. He was very adventurous." Link told them. To his surprise, Katniss hugged him.

"I was worried about you." She said. Link rose his eyebrows before hugging her back. "We never got the chance to properly thank you." She finished. Peeta joined in the hugging. Then came another five minutes of Katniss and Peeta kissing. Caesar Flickerman tried tapping Peeta's shoulder to continue the show, but Peeta just pushed him aside like as if he wasn't there.

The crowd went crazy.

Haymitch, Katniss' and Peeta's mentor, finally pushed them towards the victor's chair, which is now a rather large couch, so all three of the victors could sit in it. Katniss sat extremely close to Peeta, kicking off her sandals, and curling up next to him. Link just sat on the other side, legs crossed, arms draped over the back.

* * *

Link didn't feel quite ready to watch the three-hour video of the Hunger Games that he was included in. All the same, the video started.

The first half an hour was about the reaping, the chariot ride, and training scores.

Katniss paid a lot of attention to what Link was doing in the video, for he never told them his story.

* * *

 _The video begins._

 _The reaping..._

Katniss watched as Link's name was called out at the reaping. The poor boy's hands shook slightly as he walked up onto the stage. At the time, he was dressed in... Not the prettiest outfit. (Ordon clothes) he was dirty from herding goats.

Katniss looked back at the real Link, who sat beside her. He was so clean, and looked so fearless. Was that really the same person on the screen?

* * *

 _The chariots..._

Link rode in the back of the train of chariots with the other District 14 tribute, Renee Johnson, who had died at the beginning of the games.

Link had the most wonderful looking iron armor that anyone had ever seen. Studded with different colored diamonds, and even something that looked somewhat like a crown on his head. Link didn't look down at his armor. He just looked straight ahead, frowning slightly.

He looked terrifying.

Perhaps that was his intention. He didn't want people coming after him.

Katniss remembered when she was there in her flaming costume. At the end of the ride, the other tributes shot her dirty looks for outshining them all. Katniss had looked back at the chariot behind her. Renee glared like the rest. But when she looked at Link, she could find the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. He had given her a thumbs-up.

* * *

 _Training..._

 _Yes, what was it Link did to get that "ten"?_ Katniss wondered to herself. Link had earned a ten out of twelve from the Gamemakers, and Katniss wanted to find out how.

Shone on the screen, Link took six of the toughest and hardest to break practice dummies. You would need incredible strength to break them. He set them around him in a circle, then drew his sword. He readied the blade for an attack, then spun. You could hear the blade whistle as it flew straight through every dummy, slicing them in half.

"That's what I call a spin attack." Link whispered to Katniss from the other side of the couch. Katniss looked at him. He smiled sadly.

* * *

 _The interview..._

Katniss remembered the interview. That was when Peeta had revealed the fact that he had a crush on her. Katniss was too confused and angry to care about how Link's and Renee's interview went after her. After watching all of the other interviews on the screen, she listened closely to Link's interview.

Link wore clothes that were probably supposed to make him look tough. It worked.

He wore a tan shirt. The v-neck collar reached real low, probably just above his navel. It revealed large muscles from working hard on his chest, and six-pack abs on his stomach. He also wore a pair of tight, black pants. His feet were bare. The black belt around his waist had the crest of District 14 as the belt buckle. To add more details, he had iron chains. Iron chains wrapped over his left shoulder, and down to his right hip, like a sash. More chains wrapped around his right forearm in some kind of X pattern. And one more chain as an anklet on his right foot.

He answered several of the questions somewhat modestly, but then he realized how dangerous that was, and on with the show.

* * *

 ** _The games..._**

When the gong sounded, Link, just like Katniss, had grabbed a backpack, and ran for a sword that laid a little distance away from the Cornucopia. Unlike Katniss, he had managed to get his hands on the weapon. He ran off to who knows where.

The cameras switched between tributes. People dying everywhere. Katniss kept her eyes fixed on Peeta, Link, and herself.

When it came around to the part where Katniss had heard the change of rules, when two tributes from the same district could live, Katniss watched herself as she shouted Peeta's name, and clapped her hand over her mouth. She remembered that. But then the video played that one part again, only in a different part of the forest, not to far from where Katniss stood.

Link had heard Katniss shout the name during the games. The screen showed him as his head jerked in the direction of the voice. Then it showed him smiling sadly. _Whoops, Link heard me..._ Thought Katniss.

Eventually it came to Katniss finding Peeta, them hiding out in the cave, etc.

* * *

 _the feast..._

The feast at the games had been put in the video. No, not a feast with food, but with things that each tribute needed most. Backpacks on the table with each district's numbers held the valuables. It was dangerous. You never knew when another tribute was going to jump in to get their backpack, and if you were out at the same time as them, well, you know the games. They would probably try to kill you.

The tribute Katniss called Foxface simply jumped in, grabbed her bag, then jumped out. Katniss felt rather cheated at this point. Or maybe envious. She wished she could do stuff like that. She ran towards the table next. Unfortunately, she ran out at the same time as Link.

As soon as Link and Katniss spotted each other, they stopped running abruptedly, and stared, waiting for the other to make their move, when the knife whizzed by Katniss's head. Link then came to his senses, and ran for the bag marked with the number 14. He ran off. Nobody saw, but when Link reached the trees, he stopped to watch.

Katniss drew her bowstring in the direction that the knife came from. Clove dodged the arrow.

Fortunately, Katniss had grabbed her bag, but when she turned top shot another arrow, a second knife caught her on the forehead. Clove slammed into her, knocked her over, and her shoulders to the ground with her knees.

Link heard her call out Peeta's name. He saw Clove jam her fist into Katniss's windpipe. Clove picked a knife from her jacket. She wiped the blood from Katniss's face, and started to survey it. Then she laid the tip of her blade on her mouth.

Link was about to run out to stop her, but then realized he didn't need to. Thresh had picked Clove up off the ground. He tossed her down. She started screaming.

"Cato! Cato!" She screeched. Link heard the response from a distance.

"Clove!"

Thresh struck a rock on Clove's head. He turned toward Katniss. The two spoke for a bit, and Thresh lowered his rock. Katniss ran. So did Link.

Later...

Link, back at his tree, opened the bag he got at the feast. Inside was a cloak. (Elvish cloak. No, it's not elvish, but it seemed like such a good idea to give Link a camouflage cloak that he probably never had to use.)

* * *

Days passed

The cameras switched again to see the battle between Link and Cato.

Cato had found Link resting in a tree. Before he knew it, Link had landed swiftly on the ground, sword ready. They battled. Just like Link had said, the battle ended with Cato getting his head cut off. Link had looked down at the body, then turned away in disgust. No victory was found in his eyes. The young man walked away.

Soon came the part of the mutt attack, and then the berries.

The video ended with Katniss hurling herself at the glass door, Link silently lying there on his stomach, watching.

 _The video ends._

"Ladies and gentlemen, the victors of Districts twelve and fourteen!" Said Caesar Flickerman.

* * *

Okay, forget the victors crown. In the book, Snow broke the crown in half so both victors could wear it. But to break it into three pieces? Forget it. R&R plz!


	6. Chapter 5

hello again! I really don't know what to say, so just forget about my existence for a little bit, K?

* * *

After the Victory Banquet that followed the video, the three victors were sent to bed. They would need the rest for the next interview.

Link woke and ate. He just finished when the prep team entered the room. They continued to fix him up until his stylist came in, and shooed them out. He dressed Link in a black tuxedo, black pants and shoes, a white under shirt, and a red tie.

"This seems a bit too simple for you to make." Said Link. His stylist chuckled from behind him.

"I know." He simply said.

Link was led to the sitting room just down the hall. The Victor's Couch had been moved in, and was surrounded by red and pink roses. Several cameras stood before the couch to record the interview. No live audience.

Link waited on the couch for Peeta and Katniss to arrive. Peeta arrived first, then Katniss soon after him. The two exchanged a few words, then sat by Link, again Katniss curled up by Peeta.

"Hey." Link said to them. The two repeated the greeting in unison.

Someone counted backwards, and soon they found themselves being broadcasted live to the entire country.

Caesar Flickerman asked them the questions, and they did the answering. They talked about Peeta and Katniss and when they first started loving each other. They eventually mentioned the moment when Katniss shouted Peeta's name in the games. This topic, after Katniss' response, directed itself towards Link.

"Link." Said Caesar. "If I'm not mistaken, you heard Katniss shout, right?" Link merely nodded. "You even smiled." He continued. "What were you thinking at the time?" Peeta and Katniss looked at him, also curious.

"What _was_ I thinking?" Link asked himself. "I guess I felt happy for them. I mean, I realized long ago that I couldn't possibly get out of the arena alive, but in that moment, I figured that...If _they_ could work together to get out, that would mean they could both be happy, so why not be happy _for_ them? That reminds me of the mutt attack." He said.

"Yes, the mutt attack." Said Caesar. "Oh, is _that_ why you tried to save them?" Link nodded.

"Yes, I wanted them to be happy, once again. In order to do that, I would need to keep them both alive. I knew from the beginning that I would have to die, but... I thought... Maybe I could die doing what's right." Katniss slowly placed a hand on his shoulder. Link sighed.

They talked some more about the mutts, when Caesar asked Peeta how his "new leg" was working out.

"New leg?" Katniss and Link asked at the same time. Katniss lifted the bottom of Peeta's pants. "Oh, no." She whispered. Link's eyes widened at the sight of the artificial leg.

"It's my fault." Said Katniss. "Because I used that tourniquet."

"Yes, it's your fault I'm alive." Said Peeta. Katniss buried her face in Peeta's shirt.

And more talking. Then the berries came up.

"Katniss, I know you've had a shock, but I've got to ask. The moment when Peeta said he would like some of the berries. What was going on in your mind... hm?" Asked Caesar.

Katniss hesitated, then said, "I don't know, I just... Couldn't bear the thought of... Being without him."

"Peeta, anything to add?"

"No. I think that goes for both of us." Said Peeta.

Cesar signed off, and it was over.

Link went back to his room to pack, but found that there was nothing to take. Except for the green outfit that he wore for the Hunger Games video, which his stylist must have placed on the bed. Link was surprised to find that he could take it home. He felt... Honored.

Soon, Link found himself on the train heading home.

* * *

Home sweet home. back to the goats that were probably let lose while he was in the games. I don't know. just continue reading. R&R plz!


	7. Chapter 6

Link is now on his way home. that's a good thing, right?

* * *

They ate a huge dinner on the train, and watched a replay of the interview.

Before long, Link found himself thinking about Ordon, the part of district 14, where he lived. He thought of Rusl, Colin, and Ilia, his friends. Zelda.

Link went to go change into his Ordon clothes. When he reappeared, the train had stopped for fuel. He stepped outside for fresh air, along with the other two tributes. He walked in the opposite direction as the other two to give them some privacy. Again, his thoughts wandered over to Zelda.

Zelda. Her hair fell in showers of gold down her back. Her eyes were a beautiful blue, slightly darker than Link's feral blue eyes. She stood slightly shorter than Link.

She was a beautiful woman. Link had fallen for her long ago. He just wasn't absolutely sure if she shared his feelings.

Link had unknowingly placed his hand over his heart, as if trying to find comfort there. He was nervous.

He headed back to the train as the engine started to rumble.

* * *

Back on the train, Link noticed that Peeta hadn't shown his face ever since he got back. The next time he appeared, the train was pulling into District 12.

Katniss and Peeta stood in front of the door, holding hands. Link stood behind them. Katniss looked back at Link, who gave her a thumbs up. The door opened.

A loud cheer erupted as Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, and Effie stepped out of the car. Link stood silently behind them against the wall, arms crossed. After about a minute, he heard a girl in the crowd shriek, "Look! Link's here too!" She pointed at said person. Link's eyebrows rose as people directed their cameras at him as well.

Before Katniss and Peeta left, they turned to give Link a hug. "See you at the tour." Said Link. The others nodded, and left.

The train door closed as it started moving again. This time towards District 14. Home.

* * *

Link stood before the door again as the train pulled into the ironworking district. The door opened to cameras and people, all pointing at him. Link stepped out of the car.

To his surprise, he heard someone familiar call his name. He tried to locate the person. She pushed her way through the crowd, until she finally reached the little clearing that the crowd made for Link.

Link recognized her. The golden hair, those eyes...

"Link!" She cried. She leaped right into his arms.

"Zelda!" Link practically sobbed, holding her close. Suddenly, Zelda pressed her mouth to his. Link's eyes widened for a bit, but then they closed as he returned the kiss.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" Said Zelda when she broke the kiss. Link rose an eyebrow. "You were going to kill yourself!" Zelda buried her face in his chest. Link held on to her tighter. Zelda continued to speak. "And you _do_ deserve me, you liar!" Link couldn't help but smile sadly. He kissed her temple.

Link sighed

It was over.

 **End of book one**

* * *

end of book one. moving on to book two! yay! R&R plz!


	8. Chapter 7

okay! time to start book two! let's see how bad this will turn out.

* * *

 _A forest._

 _The man ran through the forest, shoving things out of the way, trying to escape._

 _Muttations. That's what he was running from. Living weapons of the Capitol. These mutts took the form of what appeared to be a wolf, only stronger. They could balance on their hind legs. They could jump higher than any other creature the man had seen. Their claws were razor sharp._

 _Even worse, the mutts' eyes looked like the eyes of the dead tributes. The ones that were killed in here._

 _The man continued to run. He ran to the lake, where two other tributes stood. These tributes were not killed, so there were no mutts that had their eyes. The man shouted at them to run. They didn't obey immediately, until they laid their eyes on the mutts chasing the man. That's when they followed, dashing as fast as their legs would allow._

 _But then the muttations caught up._

 _Surprisingly, they left the man alone, and went for the other two tributes. Bit by bit, they ripped them apart. Their screams pained the man so much, that he doubled over, clutching his long, pointed ears-_

"Argh!" He cried, sitting up quickly. He panted, his body drenched in sweat. He say there, taking in his surroundings. A desk by the wall, the bed he sat on in the corner. He was in his room.

 _Another nightmare..._ He thought. _I shouldn't be worrying. The two tributes are still alive._ _They were not eaten by the mutts._

He looked out his window, finding it to be morning. He normally was a big sleepyhead, but he knew he couldn't get to sleep again, not after the image of Peeta and Katniss getting ripped apart.

He got dressed, ate breakfast, and sat on the couch.

His mind wandered, until it rested. on an unpleasant thought. He had to do something to keep his mind off of the events that will be taking place today. The doorbell rang.

He opened the front door to reveal a beautiful young woman about his age, golden hair, blue eyes.

"Morning Link!" She said cheerfully. Link grinned, and opened his arms. The woman walked into them, wrapping her own arms about his waist. Link shut the door.

"How are you, Zelda?" He asked.

"Great! Look at you, actually out of bed at this time of day." Link chuckled. Zelda removed her coat, and every other winter clothes she wore. The two sat back down on the sofa.

"Ready for today?" Asked Zelda. Link shook his head.

"Can't they let victors have their peace?" He said shaking his head again. He sighed as Zelda laid her head on his shoulder.

"You'll live." She said.

"We'll see." Link replied.

* * *

The next few hours went by slowly. The two cleaned up the house a bit. Some more friends joined Link in his house, like Rustl, Ilia, and Colin. Little Colin. He was like a little brother to Link.

The next hour brought more visitors, only these were Link's prep team and escort. They entered the house, and the prep team immediately whisked him off into his room to prepare him for the cameras.

Every victor was supposed to have a talent. It's the activity you take up since you don't have to work either in school or your district's industry. The people would film you and your talent before you left for the Victory tour. Link's talent was playing the ocarina. It was like a recorder, or a flute. This was what Link was currently preparing for.

When they finished with the makeup etc, Link went downstairs to find his stylist, who had him dress into a green shirt that was buttoned up halfway, a white shirt underneath, black pants, and leather boots.

The cameras turned on, and began to film. Link talked for a bit to the cameras, saying what he was about to do, then he took out his ocarina, a family heirloom. It had a beautiful blue color that appeared to glow softly. A silver band wrapped around the mouthpiece. On the band was a symbol that not many people knew what it meant. The three triangles, two on the bottom, one on the top. Link always assumed that it was something that represented his ancestor, the hero. But nobody knew the truth.

When Link began to play the instrument, the people in the small audience had their breath taken away. The song was simply one of the most beautiful things they have heard.

Once they finished filming, Link's stylist put him into a thin, dark green coat, and a dark blue scarf. The gloves matched the scarf's color.

"You're all about green, aren't you?" Link asked him.

"Wrong." Replied Link's stylist. " _You're_ all about green." This made Link smile.

Before Link could step out the door to hear to the train, Zelda strung a gold chain around his neck. "Good luck." She said, kissing him on the cheek. She shoved him out the door into the cold air. Link looked down at the chain to find that it had a gold pendant in the shape of an ocarina. He smiled again.

"We're going to take the train down to District twelve, where we will film your reunion with Katniss and Peeta." Link's escort told him. He nodded. "Then we'll start the tour in District eleven." Link nodded again.

Link got in the car, which took him to the train station. He boarded the train, and before he knew it, the train pulled him into District 12.

Once again, Link got in the car, which took him to where Katniss and Peeta lived, and there he waited for them, cameras on.

Katniss and Peeta exited their houses at the same time. They ran towards each other, and when they meet up, they start kissing, falling to the snowy ground. Link walked over to them, and helped them up.

"Link!" Said Katniss. "I missed you!" Link laughed.

"Did you really?" Katniss nodded. Peeta nodded along with her. They hugged.

Again, they got back to the train, and headed for District 11, where the tour was going to start.

* * *

Yay me. I got this far. I wonder how the next chapter will go. R&R plz!


	9. Chapter 8

Hello again! Okay. I realized recently that...unfortunately, my school starts in a few weeks, so I'm not going to be able to write as much. Anyway, I got this next chapter ready for you, and I guess we'll see how it goes.

* * *

The next morning, Katniss entered the dining car, her eyes looking tired. Link and Effie, Katniss's escort, were already there, but Peeta and Haymitch weren't.

"Where are the others?" She asked.

"Oh, who knows where Haymitch is." Said Effie. "Cinna was up late on organizing your garment car. He must have over a hundred outfits for you. Your evening clothes are quite exquisite. And Peeta's team is probably still asleep."

"Doesn't he need prepping?" Asked Katniss.

"Not the way you do." Came the reply. Katniss's shoulders seemed to sag. She say in front of Link to eat.

"So, why are you up?" She asked him. Link merely shrugged Katniss suddenly felt one more question tug at her. The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Why do you have pointed ears?" She asked. Link looked up from his meal and grinned.

"Don't really know." He said. "My ancestors before me had pointed ears, and there's a few other families in my district have pointed ears."

"So, you were born with them?" Link nodded.

"I couldn't afford to have my ears shaped surgically. Guess I could now, though."

"Don't change them! They look good on you!" Katniss exclaimed. Link laughed.

"Okay." He said.

Before long, Katniss's prep team shoved her into another room to get ready. Link sighed as he let his own prep team take over.

At some point, after lunch, the train just stopped. It needed something to be replaced. That was when Effie began to work out how the delay will impact every event for the rest of their lives. Katniss couldn't stand or anymore.

"No one cares Effie!" She snapped. Everyone stared at her. "Well, no one does!" She says, exiting the car. Peeta followed her out. A few minutes passed, and Katniss came back and apologized, then left again.

Yet a few more minutes, and Link found himself being pulled into District 11. The three victors stared out the window.

The district was huge.

Crops stretched out as far as the eye can see. Men and women harvested, looking up only to watch the train roll by.

Link, Katniss, and Peeta left to get changed.

Link soon found himself garbed in green, once again. (I'm not going into the details.)

* * *

Once the train pulled into the station, they were hurried into the back of an armoured truck, which drove them to the back of the Justice Building. They walked to the entrance, and the door opened.

"Big smiles!" Effie reminded them. They walked onto the stage. People crowded the square. The families of Rue and Thresh, the tributes who died in the games, stood on a platform to the side of the stage.

The mayor gave a speech in their honour. Peeta read out loud the scripted reply, and they were given giant bouquets of flowers.

Peeta kept speaking. "It can in no way replace your losses, but as a token of our thanks we'd like for each of the tribute's families from District Eleven to receive one month of our winnings every year for the duration of our lives." The crowd gasped. Katniss kissed Peeta

Then she added a little something to say.

"I want to give my thanks to the tributes of District Eleven. I only ever spoke to Thresh once. Just long enough for him to spare my life. I didn't know him, but I always respected him. For his power. For his refusal to play the games on anyone's terms but his own. The Careers wanted him to team up with them from the beginning, but he refused. I respected him for that."

She turned to Rue's family. "But I feel as if I did know Rue, and she'll always be with me. Everything beautiful brings her to mind. I see her in the yellow flowers that grow in the Meadow by my house. I see her in the mockingjays that sing in the trees. But most of all, I see her in my sister Prim. Thank you for your children. And thank you all for the bread."

A long pause followed, then somebody in the crowd whistled Rue's four-note mockingjay tune. That was when every person in the crowd pressed their three middle fingers to their lips, then extended them to Katniss.

There was a final round of applause. They nearly entered the Justice Building, when Katniss went back to retrieve her flowers. Peeta went with her. Link stood their, waiting for them. Then he heard the gunshot.

* * *

there you go. R&R plz!


	10. Chapter 9

Warning: Might bore you to death. I don't know! Just...just read at your own risk!

* * *

"We're going!" Link heard Peeta say. "We get it, all right? Come on Katniss." Peeta and Katniss emerged from the doorway, Peeta's arm wrapped around the female victor's shoulders. The others who remained safely in the Justice building for the shooting stared at the two with anxiety.

"What happened?" Effie hurried over to them. "We lost the feed just after Katniss's beautiful speech, and then Haymitch said he thought he heard a gun fire."

"Nothing happened, Effie. An old truck backfired." Peeta lied. Two more shots sounded. They didn't want to know who they were.

"Both of you. With me." Said Haymitch. Link shot them a concerned glance, which Katniss caught, before they headed to another room upstairs.

About fifteen minutes later, Peeta practically stormed back downstairs.

"Bud, you okay?" Link asked somewhat softly. Peeta nodded, and sat on a sofa that stood near an unlit fireplace, facing away from the others. Everyone stood silent. A few minutes later, Katniss and Haymitch descended the stairs.

* * *

Link stood in a room, naked, allowing his prep team prepare him for the special dinner the district had made for them. His stylist entered with a shimmering purple tunic bundled in his arms. He slipped it over Link's head, along with matching trousers, and his golden ocarina necklace.

"Ah, thank you." Said Link, fingering the chain. "I nearly forgot about that."

The group assembled to head down to dinner. Link paid no attention to Effie as she complained a bit about how she was being treated here.

They arranged in a formation for their entrance. First the prep teams, then the escorts, next the stylists, the mentors, and finally, the victors.

Somewhere below, musicians began to play. Link heard Peeta speak to Katniss.

"Haymitch says I was wrong to yell at you. You were only operating under his instructions." He said. "And it isn't as if I haven't kept things from you in the past."

"I think I broke a few things myself after that interview." Katniss replied.

"Just an urn."

"And your hands. There's no point to it anymore, though, is there? Not being straight with each other?"

"No point." Said Peeta. They allowed Haymitch a fifteen-step lead as Effie directed. "Was that really the only time you kissed Gale?" Link felt his eyes widen as he looked at the two.

"Yes." Came the reply. The two looked up at Link, who still stared.

"Okay, I need someone to fill me in on what has been going on." Said Link. Peeta and Katniss both sighed, and nodded. "Train after dinner." Link whispered.

"Only if you show us your talent." Said Katniss. Link grinned.

"That's fifteen. Let's do it." Said Peeta. A light hit them as they smiled for the cameras.

Day after day was the same. Wake up. Prepare. (Link almost always had a tunic of some kind: shiny ocean blue for district 4, silver for district 7, etc.) Ride through cheering crowds. Ceremonies. Sometimes a brief tour. Dress in evening clothes. Attend dinner. Train.

District 1 and 2 were awful. Link was the killer of Cato, tribute of District 2. The District 1 tributes were both killed by Katniss. The crowd was not a pretty picture.

By the time they got to the Capitol, they were desperate.

Back in their old quarters in the Training Center, Katniss suggested the public marriage proposal. Peeta agreed, but then disappeared to his room for a long time.

"I thought he wanted it anyway." Said Katniss.

"Not like this." Said Haymitch. "He wanted it to be real."

Link had played the ocarina in exchange for information, right after they left District 11. He'd been told about how the berry indecent in the arena last year had stirred up anger in the Capitol. Also, President Snow threatened to have Gale, a friend of Katniss's, killed, unless Katniss convinced him that he was in love with Peeta. So, to prevent things from getting worse, they pretended to be madly in love. Link had agreed to go with the act as well, pretending that he hadn't heard that the Capitol was angry.

Link entered his own room.

That night came an onstage interview with Caesar Flickerman. When he asks Peeta and Katniss about the future, Peeta kneeled down, and asked Katniss to marry him. Katniss, of course, accepted.

President Snow made a surprise visit. Link watched as he and Katniss embraced. The two looked into each other's eyes. Link saw Katniss raise her eyebrows in question. He noticed Snow give a slight shake of his head.

The President was not convinced.

* * *

Now i need to figure out how to start the next chapter. R&R plz!


	11. Chapter 10

I'm rather fond of this chapter...don't ask why.

* * *

Link was surprised to find that Katniss stood up straighter and with more confidence. She smiled brighter.

"What do you think about us throwing them a wedding right here in the Capitol?" Snow asked the crowd. Katniss squealed with delight. "Oh, before we set a date," said the President, "we better clear it with Katniss's mother." He placed an arm around the victor as the crowd laughed. "Maybe if the whole country puts its mind to it, we can get you married before you're thirty." Katniss giggled.

"You'll probably have to pass a new law." She said.

"If that's what it takes." Came the reply. He turned to Link.

"I may have come here for Peeta and Katniss, but I have never spoken to you yet, Link. How are you?" He asked.

"Very fine, sir, thank you." Link gave a slight bow. "And you?"

"Never been better. What about your girl back in District Fourteen? How's she?"

"For all I know, she could be dying from a disease. But I'm pretty sure she's fine." Said Link.

"What was her name again?" Asked the president.

"Zelda Harkinian."

"Well, do you have a message for this... 'Zelda Harkinian?'"

With that, Link turned to the cameras in the crowd. He waved wildly with his left hand. "Love you Zelda!" He blew a kiss. Some "awws" escaped the crowd, along with a cheer.

The party was held in the banquet room of President Snow's mansion. The forty-foot ceiling had been transformed into the night sky, and the stars looked exactly what they did in District 14. Musicians floated on clouds, though it was impossible to see what truly held them aloft. Furniture was placed around fireplaces, flower gardens, and ponds. A dance floor stood in the center of the room. But the food was everything anyone wanted. Whole animals roasted on spits. Huge platters of foul. Everything you could have dreamed of.

"I want to taste everything in the room." Said Katniss.

"Then you'd better pace yourself" Peeta replied.

"Okay, no more than one now of each dish."

Link smiled as he began to wander the enormous room. Cameramen filmed his every move, from his beaming face, to his shiny golden tunic with colorful diamonds that formed a single stripe on his right, to his golden colored boots.

Unfortunately, he quickly learned that there was a small group of girls who were also following his every move. _Fangirls..._ His mind grumbled. He didn't say it out loud because of the cameras.

Link ate till he thought he could burst. From the looks of it, so did Katniss and Peeta. He watched Peeta as he led Katniss to the dance floor.

Link had gotten into some non important conversations, about the food, and the games, and his golden necklace, or his ocarina. Soon, Link found the other two victors by the cake table. Effie walked over.

"Time to say thank you and farewell!" She said. The victors did so, and headed for the cars. They drove to the train just before it pulled out of the station. They sat, and drank tea, while being reminded that they were still on tour. It was decided that they would head to District 14 first, then twelve, then bring Link back to fourteen. They headed straight for bed.

 _Jabberjays._

 _What were jabberjays doing here?_

 _He stared at them, eyes squinted. He had never seen a jabberjay before. Yet here they were. Hundreds of them._

 _They all opened their mouths at the same time, and made the same sound._

 _Screaming._

 _A woman screaming._

 _Zelda..._

Link woke with a start, only to find light pouring in through the window. It was morning. The train started pulling into District 14.

Since this was Link's own district, his stylist allowed him to wear his special outfit: the hero's tunic. A green tunic, with a matching green pointed hat, light brown pants, leather boots, brown gauntlets, and blue hoop earrings. The outfit was designed after Link's ancestor's clothes. Link's ancestor. The hero. He helped fight against the Capitol, along with the other districts. It was the same battle that caused District 13 to blow up during the Dark Days. Link chuckled. The president must hate him. That thought had just occurred to him.

The dinner took place at the mayor's house. Link was happy to hear that, for Zelda was the mayor's daughter.

When they entered the dining hall, Katniss and Peeta noticed that Link's eyes wandered the room, looking for someone. They saw his face light up when he spotted the person. A beautiful blond girl. He speed-walked over to her. They embraced tightly. The crowd along with cameras watched the two as they kissed. Peeta and Katniss glanced at each other, smiling, before they approached the two blonds. Link's lips brushed on the girl's hair, and the girl's head rested on his chest, eyes closed.

Link still held the girl as he introduced her to the other victors.

"Katniss and Peeta, meet Zelda. Zelda, meet the two famous victors."

"Oh, please." Scoffed Peeta. "We're not any more famous than you." Link shrugged.

"It's an honor to meet you." Zelda bowed. They smiled.

"Thank you. Link spoke highly of you." Said Katniss. Zelda blushed as she hugged closer to her man. She turned to Link.

"You had to say my name in front of the whole world?" She said accusingly.

"Of course!" Came the reply. "I had to show you off somehow." Zelda rolled her eyes.

"You also have pointed ears." Katniss noted. Zelda's hand went up to her ear. She smiled.

"Yeah, I do."

Later, The cameramen decided to have a small interview with Link and Zelda, knowing that the two were in a relationship that the world would want to see and know about.

"So, you too love each other, right?" Asked the one interviewing them. Zelda kissed Link's cheek in response. "Haha." Said the interviewer. "Well, I guess Katniss and Peeta aren't the only lovers on television!" The cameras turned to Katniss and Peeta, who waved, and pointed back to Link and Zelda. The camera turned back to said people.

"So, is this the girl who you said that you didn't deserve? Back in the arena?" He said to Link. Link glanced down at Zelda in horror.

"Don't mention that!" He whispered loudly to the cameras.

"Why not?"

"She'll slap me!" Link exclaimed. "...I shouldn't have said that..." He said, looking down at Zelda, seeing the mischievous look on her face.

Zelda then decided it was okay to slap him. Everyone watching laughed, including Link.

The dinner continued. At the end, Link said goodbye to Zelda, reminding her that he'll be back the day after the next. With that, the victors boarded the train to District 12.

* * *

I'm probably going to skip the details of District 12, and just send Link home. but, you know how in District 12 there is the stuff that happened between the tour and the Quarter Quell? Like, Katniss's photo shoot, or Gale getting whipped? well, i have no idea what to do during this time in District 14, so I need your help. plz give me ideas that i could use. tell me in your comments. R&R plz!


	12. Chapter 11

Sorry, it's been longer than Intended! I had the author's worst nightmare, writer's block!

dun dun dun!

sorry.

Nobody gave me any suggestions on what to do next! I still need ideas. plz give me your ideas in the comments!

In this chapter, you are going to learn more about "the hero"

* * *

Home at last. The tour was finished. No more angry people pretending to love them. No more seeing pain in families' eyes. No more stuffy train.

District 14. Link was home.

As soon as he exited the car that drove him to his house, Little Colin had leapt into his arms, asking how it went. Rusl and Uli gave him a welcoming hug. Zelda kissed him on the cheek.

Rather empty days passed. Link woke. Ate. Kissed Zelda. Did something. Ate. Did something else. Ate. Kissed Zelda. Bed. He liked it when Zelda stayed at his house for the night. She would climb into the bed with him, and curl up next to his body. It felt wonderful, having her right beside him. Usually she rested her head on his shoulder, close to his throat. Her hand often rested on his chest. Link loved it. The warmth from her touch spread from where she rested her fingers, down to his toes.

One day, Zelda requested that Link wore a certain outfit. The one from the day that the Hunger Games video played. The one he wore for the tour in District 14.

"What?" Asked Link. "Why?"

"I just wanted to see you wear it again. It looks handsome on you." Zelda explained. That was enough to send Link into his room to change. He reappeared in the familiar green tunic and pointed hat.

Link looked into Zelda's face, which suddenly turned from excited to curious. "What is it?" Link asked her. They sat on the couch.

"I never knew much about the hero. Could you tell me his story?" Zelda asked. Link thought about it for a bit, then agreed with a nod. He began.

"As you know, seventy-five years ago were the Dark Days. A boy, ten years old, wandered into District 14 from the forest, hungry and thirsty. Nobody knows how he managed to pass the fence that bordered the district, but somehow he did it. A young widow without children took him in, cared for him. He grew into a man. Kept an illegal sword in the forest, just like Katniss does with her bow. He trained with it every day when he could. He felt that his skills could be of use some day.

"Then the rebellion started. The hero fought with the others, using his sword. He fought harder still when the widow who took him in was killed.

"At one point, the hero found a rather large group of inexperienced people, who were being attacked by muttations. The hero jumped in, and killed every mutt there. He saved the people.

"From then on, it was like a career for him. He sees a mutt, he kills it. The Capitol continued sending in mutts, until they learned why they were all disappearing. So they sent peacekeepers to District fourteen to find the hero, and kill him. The hero again killed off the peacekeepers, though reluctantly, because, in his exact words, 'they were no less human than I.'

"The number of peacekeepers started to get out of hand. They hurt everybody who got in their way, so the hero led them to away from the people. The peacekeepers followed him beyond the Districts. nobody really knew where he led them. There, the hero fought harder than ever. At last, the lucky peacekeeper shot the hero through the heart, and killed him. But a while before the hero left, he had married, and gotten his wife pregnant. Which is the only reason why I live today.

Zelda, who hadn't interrupted once, asked, "but, how do you know this is all true?"

"Good question." Link said. "The hero kept a journal, and carried it everywhere. And when the peacekeepers returned, they had the hero's body with them, as well as the journal. Someone who the hero knew managed to snatch the journal from them. He overheard the peacekeepers talking about how the hero died, and wrote it in the journal."

"And he wore green?" Asked Zelda. Link nodded.

"Don't quite know why, but he wore it to symbolize the forest from which he first came from." Zelda nodded.

"Also," said Link, "I nearly forgot to tell you this, but I like to train with a sword just like he did in the forest. It makes me feel…I don't know...good about myself. So that's why the first thing I grabbed in the arena was a sword."

"but you're also good at archery."

"Yeah, the hero was an archer as well, but honestly, the training area for the games was the first time I ever handled a bow."

Zelda's eyebrows rose, "Thanks for telling me the story." she smiled. So did Link.

That night, Zelda once again slept with him.

* * *

There U go! R&R plz! I'm still open to suggestions!


	13. Chapter 12

It's sad. tomorrow's my first day of school. that means I'm not going to be able to post as much. I'll have to live with it, I guess...

leading up to the Quarter Quell...

* * *

Weeks and weeks passed. Nothing happened. It seemed like that anyway. Until one day...

Out in the forest, sword in hand. He trained with it for hours at a time. He felt like the hero.

 _No,_ He thought. _I'll never be as good as the hero._

Link continued to train, swinging back and forth, up and down. Stabbing trees. Swing. Stab. Spin attack. Aaaand... Final blow! Link jumped, and as he landed, he brought his sword in front of him, and stabbed downward, burying his sword deep in the ground. He pulled his sword out, and studied it.

A well crafted blade. Rustl made it for him. Just for him. He smiled as memories came to his mind. Colin begging him to take him to the forest. Link's first day in the forest. He loved the forest.

A feminine cry rang through the forest. No, _two_ feminine voices.

 _Who else could be in the forest?_ Link knew that Katniss liked to go out into the forest, but she lived in District 12. She couldn't possibly be here.

One of the cries stopped suddenly, but at the same time, the other one grew louder.

Link ran towards the voice.

At last, he found the source of the screams. A woman in a peacekeeper outfit, backed up against a tree, a lone wolf creeping towards her. it's mouth was red with fresh blood. Another younger woman, also wearing a peacekeeper uniform, laid beside the wolf on her stomach, not moving.

Link acted quickly. He hurled himself at the wolf, shoving it away from the woman. The wolf did not like that. It jumped at the young man, who sidestepped. He took a swing with his sword, creating a large gash on the wolf's side. The wolf did not back down. It swung it's paw at Link, claws out.

Link cried out in pain, watching the blood from the wound trickle down the right side of his torso. He clutched the scratch. _That's gonna leave a mark,_ he thought.

Link again and again swung his blade at the beast. He noticed that there was something about the wolf. Something about it... It reminded him of himself. Very unusual. Blue eyes. A coat of fur so dark green, that you would think that it was a shade gray at first glance. The wolf didn't back down either. It kept fighting, no matter how injured it was.

At one point, the wolf made a wrong move, which allowed Link to run it through with his sword. The wolf slumped forward, dead.

Link breathed a sigh of relief as he clutched his wound. He examined it closer. Three deep, red scratch marks traveled from his collarbone on the right, down to about the center of his chest. _Yep,_ he thought. _Definitely going to leave a scar._

It was then he heard the shaky breath of a woman. _Right. Nearly forgot about her._ He looked up at the woman, still backed up by the tree, staring at him. Link's eyes wandered 'till he found the other young woman, still lying on the ground. He approached her, and kneeled down, turning her on her back. He pressed two fingers against her throat, searching for a pulse. He felt nothing.

The alive woman carefully approached him, also kneeling down. She looked into Link's eyes, as if recognizing him. That's right. He was Link. Victor of District 14. She looked back down at the dead woman, her eyes starting to water. She felt the man's hand rest on her shoulder.

"You're not a real peacekeeper, are you?" She heard the victor's soft voice say. She shook her head. "Who are you?"

"Twill." came the reply. "The other one is Bonnie." Link nodded.

"Where are you from?"

"District eight." Link felt his eyebrows rise. _You've come a long way,_ he thought.

Twill told Link her story. There had been an uprising in District 8. The night of Katniss's and Peeta's engagement was the night the uprising started. Eventually, peacekeepers started to arrive by the thousands, and fight back. In less than forty-eight hours, the city had been subdued.

Then came the week-long lockdown. Everyone forbidden to leave their homes. Finally, the order came for them to return to business as usual.

On Bonnie and Twill's way to school, the factory they worked at exploded, killing everyone inside-including Twill's husband and Bonnie's family.

The two fled back to Twill's house, and picked up the peacekeeper suits. They made it to the railway station, and climbed onto the train, fleeing when the train stopped for fuel, and continuing on foot. When they arrived at District 12, Bonnie twisted her ankle. After traveling for two more days, they met up with Katniss, who gave them food, taught them how to hunt, and sent them on their way.

They reached District 14, when the wolf attacked, killing Bonnie. That's when Link showed up.

"Where are you going exactly?" Asked Link.

"To District thirteen." Came the reply. Link rose an eyebrow. District 13 had been destroyed by the Capitol, seventy-five years ago.

"You know how they always show the Justice Building?" Twill continued. Link nodded. "I think they keep reusing the old footage because they can't show what's really there now. Every time, in the right hand corner, you see a glimpse of a mockingjay as it flies by." Link looked at her curiously. "I think they moved underground, and managed to survive. The Capitol leaves them alone because their main industry was nuclear development."

Link said nothing, pondering over the things that she said.

"Why don't they help us?" He asked. Twill simply shrugged.

That ended the conversation.

Link sadly looked down at the dead girl's face. Twill followed his gaze, grazing the woman's cheek.

After a while, Link spoke. "Should I bury her?" Twill looked up at him.

"Would you do that?" Link nodded.

"I'll try."

"Thank you." Twill embraced Link, getting blood on her white jacket.

"Oh, sorry." Said Link as Twill gasped at the red staining her clothes.

"No, I forgot you were wounded." She touched her fingers to Link's bloody chest. "Are you going to be all right?" Link chuckled at this.

"I survived the games, and you're asking me if I'll be alright?" Twill smiled slightly at that.

"Thank you for saving my life." She said softly.

"Don't mention it. Sorry I didn't make it in time to save both of you." Twill shook her head.

"It's not your fault." The two sat silent for a moment. "Zelda?"

Link understood immediately. "She's fine." Twill nodded, glad. Another question escaped her mouth.

"Is it true you're the descendant of the hero?" She spoke quietly. Link hesitated before nodding slowly. Twill exhaled deeply. "I bet you're just like him. The hero." Link stared at her, catching Twill's eye. "You save lives, just like the hero did. You save lives, even if it means harming yourself. You saved Katniss and Peeta from the muttations. You saved me from the wolf. I hope you keep that up." Link lowered his gaze to the wound on his chest, keeping his silence. "It was an honor meeting you." Twill finished. She looked back down at Bonnie. She gripped her lifeless hand, and held it to her lips, saying goodbye. She stood, and turned to leave. She stopped when Link spoke.

"Good luck." He told her. Twill looked back at the young man.

"Thank you." She nodded, and left.

* * *

:( homework. makes me want to barf. R&R plz!


	14. Chapter 13

did you miss me? no? oh well. I've still got the next chapter ready for you. Not my best chapter, that's for sure. here you go anyway.

* * *

Zelda sat in Link's house, waiting for him. She knew that he was out training with his sword, but he had promised to be back by 5:00. It was nearing 6:00 now. Zelda worried about him.

She decided to go out and look for him.

After about fifteen minutes of walking through the snow brought her to Ordon, the part of District 14 where Link used to live. It was backed up by the north fence of the district, and was where Link normally went to enter the forest.

Suddenly, a harsh wind started to blow the snow around, preventing Zelda from seeing as well as before, making her colder than ever.

She found a figure in the distance. Getting closer, she came to recognize the limbs of a human, who seemed to be struggling against the wind. The person appeared to be clutching something at his heart. Zelda, with difficulty, inched forward.

The figure was Link.

She ran as fast as she could towards him. She found that Link had been wearing a light jacket, for it wasn't nearly as cold as it was that morning when he left.

When she reached him, she wordlessly embraced him, and started guiding him back towards the house. She noted that Link's left hand never left his chest. It was like he was protecting something from the cold.

Finally, the long trek back to the house had ended, and the two welcomed the heat. They silently removed their jackets, hanging them up. Without a word, Zelda moved to light a fire.

With the fire lit, and the two feeling much warmer, they faced each other, sitting on the couch. Link's hand still clutched at his chest, but now Zelda was able to get a clearer look at it. His hand and chest were stained red.

Immediately, Zelda wandered over to him, a look of fright in her eyes. She pulled Link's hand away from his body, and saw the wound. Three fresh claw scratches ran down the right side of his chest. Zelda gasped, and looked Link in the face for answers. His eyes had that sad look in them.

"Wolf attack." Was all he said.

Zelda wasn't the expert healer, but she had medicines, and knew what each medicine did. She grabbed the one for deep cuts.

"Take off your shirt." She told Link.

"Zelda, you don't have to-"

"-Yes I do, now take it off." She heard Link sigh as he did what was asked of him. Zelda bit her lip as she studied his shirtless, muscular torso. The cut was deep, and blood continued to trickle down his body, onto his abdomen. "Lay back." She instructed. He did so, resting his head on the arm of the sofa.

Zelda wiped off all of the blood that had trickled down to his belly. She slowly moved up his body, taking care of the red stains on his chest. Finally, she to clean the wound, earning a few gasps from the young man as the cleaning supplies stung him slightly. Zelda rubbed the medicine onto the cuts, and bandaged him up.

"Better?" Link nodded. He went to wash the blood off his hand. Zelda followed him to the sink, and placed a hand on his bandages. She kissed his cheek. Link finished washing his hand, and stood straighter. He looked down, his tired eyes resting on Zelda.

"Thank you," he said. In response, Zelda stood on her tippy toes, and kissed him softly on the lips. Link accepted the kiss, closing his eyes, breathing slowly, feeling more relaxed than he ever felt today. Zelda's hands slowly rested themselves on his bare biceps. She felt them tense beneath her fingers, but then relax again. She rested her head on Link's bandaged chest, listening to the steady _thump_ of his heart. Zelda sighed.

Link walked her to the couch by the fireplace, where his shirt laid. He tossed the shirt aside, seeing that it was too wet and bloody and scratched up to be comfortable in. They sat down, resting in each other's warm embrace.

"I'm going to have to go back out there tomorrow." Link reluctantly broke the silence.

"Why?"

"I promised somebody I'd do something for them."

"What did you promise them?"

Silence.

Zelda sighed. "Fine. But if I find another scratch on you, you're staying home." Link nodded.

"Okay.

A few more minutes passed. Zelda touched her fingers to Link's chest wound.

"A wolf?" Link nodded. "What did it look like?"

Link explained. "It had a dark green coat, like as if the forest had stained it somehow. It's eyes were blue. It wouldn't stop fighting." Zelda nodded.

"Did you kill it?" She whispered. Link looked down at her, and nodded slightly. He saw her shoulders droop a bit. She bent her head enough so she could press her lips to the bandages over the cut.

A few moments passed, and Link and Zelda fell asleep.

* * *

There. I think the next chapter will get more interesting. maybe not, I don't know.


	15. Chapter 14

I believe that things will get more interesting in this chapter.

* * *

Link's wound healed over time, with Zelda's help of course. But, unfortunately, a scar had sealed the flowing blood, just like Link had said. Often he found his hand brushing against his chest. It had become a habit for him to reach up to touch the old wound, as if checking to make sure it wasn't bleeding again. He tried not to do this in the presence of peacekeepers, knowing that they would become suspicious. Oh, man. If the peacekeepers got too suspicious, nothing could stop them from backing Link against a wall and ripping his shirt open to see what was going on. If they found out that Link trained in the forest with a sword every once in a while, he would probably have to kiss his life goodbye.

Time passed, and Link's thoughts wandered. There was one rather unpleasant thought that had entered his mind quite frequently.

The Quarter Quell. He was going to be a mentor in the Quarter Quell. That was a big honor... Or, a big, unbearable responsibility.

The Quarter Quell was a special Hunger Games year. It occurred every 25 years. The rules of the reaping changed for the Quarter Quell. For the 25th Hunger Games, each district had to vote on the tributes who would be going into the arena. For the 50th Hunger Games, each district had to draw twice the number they usually did from the reaping ball. For the 75th... Well, this _is_ the 75th Hunger Games. Nobody knows what this year's Quarter Quell will be like yet.

Yep. Link was going to be a mentor in the next Quarter Quell. He'd have to give advice to children, telling them how to survive in the wild. He always looked at each little kid he passed, wondering which ones he would need to guide. But, he wasn't sure if he was ready.

 _I'm going to be a terrible mentor._ He thought.

"Link?" A voice shook him out of his thoughts. "Something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, no. Nothing's wrong Zelda, I'm fine."

Zelda lifted an eye eyebrow at him. "You know I know you better than that." Link sighed.

"I'm going to be a mentor," Link said solemnly. "But I don't think I'm ready yet."

"Oh, Link. You've still got a few months left to prepare for it. You'll be fine." Link sighed again, but shook his head.

"All I really did was sit there and hunt."

"You managed to kill someone."

"He found me. I had no choice."

Zelda sighed. "You lived through the bloodbath at the beginning. At least _that's_ something."

"Zelda, I don't want to teach kids how to fight other kids. _Especially_ from District Twelve, now that I've become friends with Katniss and Peeta."

Zelda didn't respond. Link also sat in silence. The uncomfortable silence lasted for a few minutes, before Link stood from where he sat, gaining a sudden desire to do something that he actually enjoyed doing. Not thinking about the future. He headed upstairs to his room, grabbed a certain object, then brought it back down to the main floor. He sat down again by Zelda, studying the object. Zelda studied it with him.

Link had once explained to Zelda that his ocarina was one of the two family heirlooms that were in Link's possession. It had once belonged to the hero himself, so said the journal that the hero had written in.

Link held the ocarina in his hands. The same one that the hero held.

Link lifted the mouthpiece of the blue instrument to his lips, and started to play. He spilled his sad and scared emotions into the music, improvising the beautiful tune on the spot.

The music seemed to be effecting Zelda. She relaxed her shoulders, and her eyelids began to droop. Her head rested on Link's shoulder.

Link felt himself relaxing as well. He shut his eyes, and continued to play. He thought about the hero.

Link had not yet told Zelda that the hero's journal itself was another one of his family heirlooms. It had been given to the hero's wife after he died, and she passed it down, generation after generation. Link inherited it not long after both of his parents died of a disease. The journal now sat in an office in Link's house, on a shelf with a bunch of other books.

Link finished the song, looking down at Zelda's peaceful face. He slowly pressed his lips onto her temple. She stirred, and wrapped an arm around his midsection.

The television turned on on its own accord

Link and Zelda jumped, but calmed down quickly. This wasn't the first time it has happened. The TV would turn on automatically if something important was about to happen.

Apparently, something important was about to happen.

Caesar Flickerman, the world's most famous interviewer, was on the screen. He spoke to everybody who was listening, telling them to stay tuned for the next big event. (By "next" big event, I mean, Link and Zelda missed the event that happened before this one.) Link and Zelda obeyed him, staring at the screen.

Caesar continued to speak. "That's right, this year will be the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Hunger Games, and that means it's time for our third Quarter Quell!"

"Huh?" Asked Link. "It doesn't start in a long time, does it?" He looked down at Zelda, who looked just as confused he was.

The anthem started to play as President Snow stepped onto the stage, followed by a young boy in a white suit. When the anthem had finished, Snow began to speak about the Dark Days from which the Hunger Games were born. The Hunger Games, made to remind people of the Dark Days. Back when the hero was alive...

He explained the laws of the Quarter Quell, (*cough* differentfromotheryears *cough*) and how it happens every twenty-five years. Then he moved on to what the past Quarter Quells were.

"On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it."

Link imagined getting chosen to go kill or be killed, rather than getting your name drawn from the reaping ball. It must have been terrible.

"On the fiftieth anniversary," the president continued, "as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes."

 _Fifty-two tributes... So many dead kids..._ Thought Link.

Snow continued. "And now to honor our third Quarter Quell." The boy in white stepped up, holding a simple, wooden box. Snow opened it, revealing rows of yellowed envelopes. He picked up the one labeled with the number 75. He unsealed the envelope, and pulled out the white slip of paper. Snow read without hesitation. "On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors."

...Existing pool of victors? What does that mean?

Then it hit Link.

He clapped a hand over his mouth, and stood quickly. The tributes for the Quarter Quell were going to be the victors of previous games. Victors were going to be reaped again.

Link could be reaped again. He could go back to the arena.

Before Zelda could say anything, Link was gone.

* * *

Poor Link...he could get drawn again...R&R plz


	16. Chapter 15

I realized, I've been treating Link and Zelda like as if they are an already married couple. Sorry if that bothers you, but I'm not going to be changing it. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

The snow burned.

His bare feet ran through the cold white blanket, not stopping. He needed to be alone. He needed to get all his emotions out. He was scared. And angry.

The Capitol was possibly going to send him back to Hell on Earth. Why?

Because they didn't understand how he felt.

All of them. Every victor. They have all gone through the same great pain. Now the Capitol was going to force them to go through that pain again.

Link ran to the forest, and climbed under the fence. He found his sword, hidden away in some bushes. He grabbed the hilt of the blade, and swung. He hit every tree in sight, taking his anger out on them. This went on for several minutes.

When he was too tired to continue, he slumped down, and leaned his back against a tree. He grabbed a handful of snow, and pressed it to his sweaty face, trying to calm down. His thoughts wandered, when something hit him. Katniss... Peeta...

Link's eyes widened. Katniss and Peeta. Each district needed to draw one male and one female victor to go back to the games. For District 12, Katniss was the only female victor. She had to go back to the arena no matter what. And Peeta...

Link knew that if Haymitch got picked to go back, then Peeta would simply volunteer to go for him.

 _...I saved you guys..._ Thought Link, _... Only to have you die..._ a tear fell down his cheek. _... I'm so sorry..._

Link picked himself up from freezing ground. He couldn't feel his feet any longer, but he managed to trek back to his house, still thinking.

On the way there, Link also realized that if his name was drawn, he would be going back alone. Including himself, District 14 only had four victors. All were male.

He entered his house. Zelda immediately wrapped a thick blanket around his shoulders, and forced him down on the couch, all without saying a word. She set a mug of a hot liquid down on the side table beside Link. Link just held the blanket closer to his body.

Zelda stood in front of Link for about a minute, her eyes downcast. She placed a hand to Link's cheek, leaned over, and claimed his lips. Link did the same to Zelda. The kiss was sorrowful, almost like a goodbye.

Link woke to find himself still on the couch. Zelda, whose face was buried against his throat, sat beside him, asleep.

Link, just like the night before, pressed his lips to hers. Zelda stirred, but didn't wake.

 _"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors."_

Ugh. Not again. Link tried not to disturb Zelda as he left the couch to go shower. The lines that Snow had said the night before haunted his thoughts as he climbed the stairs.

 _Forget them._

Link shed his clothes in the bathroom, but before he stepped into the tub, he studied himself in front of the full-length mirror.

 _This is me,_ he thought to himself. _There is a possibility that I might die..._

 _Stop it._ He told himself. _You might not get picked. You might not get drawn. You might not have to go._

Link knew better than to cling to that hope. He had a feeling that he might get drawn.

 _And if I do, then I will fight for Katniss and Peeta._

He sighed. His eyes wandered around his reflection, settling on his chest. The scar shone white on his slightly tan skin. He touched the risen mark as he sighed again. He stepped into the shower.

When he finished cleaning himself, he found some clean clothes that Zelda must have laid on the bed. He dressed himself, and headed downstairs.

Breakfast was ready, and set on the table. Zelda already sat at the table, but she hadn't touched the food yet.

"Mmm, looks delicious." Link complimented her cooking, trying to keep the mood light. "Thank you." Zelda shook her head, not looking up at him.

"You don't have to thank me." She said quietly. Link took his seat and began to eat slowly. So did Zelda.

The two remained silent all throughout breakfast, and for most of the morning. At one point, Link wandered over to the telephone, and dialed a number. After a few rings, the person on the other end of the line picked up.

"Hello. Who is this?" Said the person, a female.

"Mrs. Everdeen? This is Link from District Fourteen."

"Oh, hello. Do you wish to speak with Katniss?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Okay." Link heard Katniss's mother speak to Katniss, telling her who it was who called them. Soon Link heard Katniss's voice on the other end.

"Link?" She sounded tired and sad.

"Katniss... Are you alright?" Link asked softly. Katniss sniffed.

"If by 'alright', you mean screaming 'till you lose your voice, then getting drunk right afterwards, then yes."

"I'm so sorry Katniss... And Peeta?"

"He dumped Haymitch's liquor down the drain. If you're wondering, he is planning on volunteering for Haymitch if he gets drawn."

Link sighed. "I was afraid of that."

"How are you?"

"...Scared."

"You shouldn't worry as much. You have a chance of not getting drawn."

"But what about you? I care for you too!"

"... You might want to stop caring for me." Katniss practically whispered. "You'll just end up with a broken heart after I die."

"Don't."

"It's the truth, Link."

"Still don't"

Katniss sighed. "You're a good friend, Link. How's Zelda?"

"I assume she's fine. Her eyes have been downcast ever since they announced the Quarter Quell."

An uncomfortable silence followed.

"Link, what are we going to do?"

"...I don't know. Live through it I guess."

Another silence.

"I really am sorry." Link told her.

"It's not your fault."

Link sighed. He wanted to say more, but he couldn't find any more words. "See you at the chariots ceremony." He finished.

"Okay."

They hung up.

* * *

R&R plz!


	17. Chapter 16

Please continue reading!

* * *

Link hardly slept over the next several nights. Nightmares haunted him. Sometimes Link woke to hear his own screams. Zelda heard them too. She would climb into the bed with him after that happened.

"You're okay." Zelda softly comforted Link, whose breath shook terribly. His body was covered in cold sweat. He sat there, his eyes wide like a deer caught in a trap. Zelda gently took his head, and pressed it to her breast. Link's breathing slowed as she stroked his hair. "You're safe."

A brief silence followed. "For now." Link finally replied.

"Link please..." Zelda's voice took on a pleading tone. "Don't-" she was stopped by Link.

"There's no point in _not_ saying such things, Zelda." Zelda sighed. Link sat up, and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry."

"I love you."

"I love you too." Link kissed Zelda's throat. Zelda lifted her chin as she felt his soft lips caress her neck, trailing up to her jawline. Link sighed as he placed a last kiss on her lips. He laid back down in the bed. Zelda followed suit.

Zelda waited for Link's breathing to slow, the sign proving that he would be asleep. But Zelda never heard that sound. Link could not fall asleep.

Zelda wanted to do something about it. She wanted Link to forget about the pains ahead.

 _"Are you, are you_

 _coming to the tree?_

 _Where they strung up a man,_

 _they say who murdered three?_

 _Strange things did happen here_

 _no stranger would it be,_

 _If we met at mid-_

 _night in the hanging tree."_

The words echoed in Zelda's mind as she sang them aloud.

" _Are you, are you_

 _coming to the tree?_

 _Where dead man called out,_

 _for his love to flee?_

 _Strange things did happen here_

 _no stranger would it be,_

 _if we met at mid-_

 _night in the hanging tree."_

Link calmed a bit more. Zelda continued.

" _Are you, are you_

 _coming to the tree?_

 _Where I told you to run,_

 _so we'd both be free._

 _Strange things did happen here_

 _no stranger would it be,_

 _if we met at mid-_

 _night in the hanging tree."_

One more verse...

" _Are you, are you_

 _coming to the tree?_

 _Wear a necklace of rope,_

 _side by side with me._

 _Strange things did happen here_

 _no stranger would it be,_

 _if we met at mid-_

 _night in the hanging tree."_

Zelda's singing was rewarded by a soft snore coming from the bed.

* * *

Link trained harder than ever now. He had the biggest feeling in the world that he would get reaped again. And when he was, he was going to be ready.

He hacked at trees with his sword. Did push-ups. Threw knives. Everything. Every morning.

Sometimes the other three district 14 victors would join him in training. Honestly, tributes weren't supposed to train before the games, but nothing could stop them.

Thud, Link's mentor, always trained beside him. He was Link's favorite district 14 victor, who won quite similarly to how Link won, hiding out until he was found. Thud had a sense of humor, and Link liked it. He could always count on him to lighten the mood.

Zelda sometimes came to watch Link train, every so often challenging Link to a certain, difficult exercise. Link found it surprising that he was able to do every challenge that Zelda threw in his direction.

* * *

The day of the reaping came quicker than Link would have liked.

He stood in a roped-off area with the other district 14 victors. Link's escort, Cali, stood on stage with the male's reaping ball. She reached in the ball, and snagged one of the skills of paper that held one of the victors' names. She brought it up to the front of the stage.

 _It's going to be me..._ Thought Link. He held his breath.

Cali began to speak. "This year's Hunger Games tribute will be..."

Link crossed his fingers, feeling the sweat trickle down his neck. _It's going to be me..._

"Link Avalon!"

The blood drained out of Link's face. _Why am I so scared? I knew it was coming._

He heard Zelda sob from within the crowd.

The head peacekeeper headed up to Link, and led him to the Justice Building, along with his mentor. "New procedure, let's move!"

Before the peacekeeper could take Link any further, Zelda screamed his name. She ran up to him.

"Woman, get out of here!" Cried the peacekeeper. Zelda ignored him. She shoved something into Link's hands, and kissed him on the lips before the peacekeeper shoved her away.

Before Link knew it, he was boarding the train that would take him to the Capitol. To the arena. To death.

As the train pulled out of the station, and district 14 disappeared through the trees, Link looked down at what it was that Zelda had given to him.

It was his ocarina.

* * *

Dun Dun Dun...R&R plz


	18. Chapter 17

It's strange...I'm suddenly finding a load of time to write. It's creepy.

On the way to the capitol...

* * *

Katniss stared out the window as the woods flew by.

She had been reaped again. Haymitch had been reaped as well, but Peeta immediately volunteered to take his place.

Katniss was unable to say goodbye to those she loved. The peacekeepers had whisked her away before she had the chance.

"We'll write letters, Katniss." Came Peeta's soft voice from behind her. "It will be better, anyway. Give them a piece of us to hold on to. Haymitch will deliver them for us if... They need to be delivered."

Katniss silently nodded, and disappeared into her room.

Dinner wasn't much of a help to Katniss's low spirits. Conversations didn't last long. They just sat there and ate.

Effie spoke once dinner was finished. "Shall we watch the recap of the reapings?" They all agreed to do so, and gathered around the television to see who their competition would be in the arena.

The reapings went by quickly. They watched their own reaping, when Katniss was called first, then Haymitch, who was quickly replaced by Peeta.

Unfortunately, there was one district that Katniss and Peeta had forgotten entirely...

14.

Katniss's eyes widened in remembrance when the reapings for district 14 started. She didn't say a word when she saw Link standing in the roped-off area with the other district 14 victors. Katniss could see beads of sweat forming on his skin.

She watched as the woman on stage reached into the reaping ball, pulled out a slip of paper, and brought it to the front of the stage.

"Link Avalon!"

"No!" Katniss stood. She heard Peeta gasp beside her. Haymitch lowered his face into his palm.

They watched in horror as Link was pulled away. They watched Zelda run up to him, hand him something, and kiss him.

Katniss sat again. "No..." She sighed. Peeta said nothing.

* * *

Link wasn't doing much better on his ride to the Capitol. He stared at the blue ocarina in his hands. He had been silent this entire train ride so far. Not a single word.

He ate dinner in silence as well. The others tried to start some conversations, which failed miserably. They watched the recap of the reapings, and went to bed.

But Link couldn't sleep.

He tossed and turned all night. When he did sleep, he woke in a cold sweat. He waited for Zelda to come. To comfort him.

But Zelda never came.

Right. Zelda isn't here. She's at home. In district 14.

A place that Link will never return to.

He reached for the side table, and grabbed his ocarina. He stared at it. Finally, he lifted it to his lips, and began to play.

 _Are you, are you,_

 _coming to the tree?_

 _Where they strung up a man,_

 _they say who murdered three?_

 _Strange things did happen here,_

 _no stranger would it be,_

 _if we met, at mid-_

 _night in the hanging tree._

The words rang in his head as he played the tune.

These past several days has been hard. Hard like death.

 _The hanging tree..._

It was an old song. It sounded beautiful. Link found it strange, though, that it talks about death. Hanging men. Hanging their loved ones.

The man getting hanged. He loved someone.

 _...where dead man called out,_

 _for his love to flee..._

He loved someone. He wanted her to run. But his spirit must have been lonesome.

 _...wear a necklace of rope,_

 _side by side with me..._

He wanted to be with the one he loved. He wanted the one he loved to kill herself, so that their spirits may be together.

It dawned on Link that he would probably do the same. If Link was hanged, he'd call out for Zelda to flee, but then he would change his mind. Say "I love you. I _need_ you. Meet me at the place where I died, and hang yourself. I need you with me." Yes, Link would probably do that.

He fell asleep.

* * *

I have to admit, I fell in love with the hanging tree the first time I heard it. It will probably appear in this story an unnecessary amount of times. gosh, I love that song. R&R plz!


	19. Chapter 18

Chariots today. yay.

* * *

The next day, Link had to be prepped for the chariot ride. When he was instructed to shed his clothes to get started on the prepping, Link hesitated. He took off his pants like instructed, but his shirt...

"Why aren't you removing your shirt?" One of the members of the prep team asked.

"Uh..." Was Link's reply. _Well, they'll find out sooner or later._ He took off his shirt.

Two of the members of the prep team gasped. The last one screamed. All three stared at the large scar on Link's chest. Finally, the one who screamed called for Link's stylist.

"Sir, I think you might want to see this!" She called. Link's stylist entered the room shortly afterwards. His eyebrows rose at the sight.

"What...?" He asked.

"Wolf attack." Said Link. He could see the gears clicking in his stylist's head. After a while, he spoke to the prep team.

"Prepare him like you were supposed to." He exited the room.

The prep team obeyed. Though not permanently, they dyed his hair white. Link had absolutely no idea where they were going with this. He was instructed to hold still while they did something to his face. They handed him something that looked like eye contacts. He was told to put them in his eyes. He obeyed, still not knowing what they were doing to him.

His stylist re-entered the room. "Perfect!" He exclaimed as he ushered the prep team away. He had Link dress in a thin robe, and took him out of the room to eat lunch.

"Okay, what are you doing to me?" Link immediately asked. His stylist shrugged. They ate.

After lunch, Link's stylist pulled off Link's robe, and slipped a navy, long-sleeved turtle-neck over his head, as well as tunic as white as his hair. He told Link to step into a pair of navy trousers. He was fit into some brown leather boots. Gauntlets made of some kind of metal were put onto his forearms. His stylist put some extremely detailed armour over his chest and stomach. Lastly, a white cap shaped like his green one was placed on his head.

His stylist inspected him, nodding in approval. He turned Link towards a mirror. Link gasped.

His face had red and blue markings on it. His eyes... His eyes amazed him. They were blank. Literally. It looked like he had completely lost his irises and pupils, but he could see perfectly fine. His armour, he couldn't begin to describe his armour. His white tunic, cap, and hair were almost blinding. He looked like a god. (Think fierce deity. That's what he looks like. Oh yeah.)

His prep team re-entered the room. They shrieked at the sight of him.

"I look so... Tough!" Link said.

Link's stylist smiled. "Now," he said to him. "Out there, I don't want to see you smile. Look straight ahead." Link nodded.

Link headed down to the ground floor of the Remake Centre, where the gathering for the tributes and their chariots for the opening ceremonies was held.

He entered the large room, and found Peeta and Katniss standing by their chariot. He made his way over.

* * *

Katniss gasped.

"What is it?" Asked Peeta.

"Is that Link!?" She pointed behind Peeta. Peeta turned. He felt his jaw drop. Sure enough, that was Link. Walking straight towards them. His clothes were absolutely brilliant.

When he got closer to the two, Link spoke in his usual, soft voice. "Relax guys. It's me." Peeta shut his mouth. Link smirked. He looked up to see many of the other tributes looking at him as well. He rolled his eyes. (Not that anybody would be able to tell that he was rolling his eyes. They were blank, remember?)

Katniss finally spoke. "Wow." Link chuckled.

"Now, what I see are simple black jumpsuits." Said Link, referring to Peeta's and Katniss's outfits. "What I _will_ see is some amazing fire display." Katniss blushed.

"How'd you guess?" Peeta asked him.

"Oh, you know. Last year." He smiled, remembering the two's amazing fire outfits last year.

"What did they do to your eyes?" Asked Katniss. Link shrugged.

Outside, the music began. "It's starting. Let's go." Link climbed into his chariot, and Katniss and Peeta climbed into theirs. They pressed a button on their black jumpsuits. Link watched in awe as he saw them transform into glowing embers. Katniss looked back at him. "Wow." He mouthed Katniss smiled, and looked back up front. They were almost at the door. Link watched the two of them lock hands.

When they exited the room on their chariots, Link heard the people watching scream. He heard them scream again when he, himself exited the room. Link remained looking straight ahead.

The ride lasted twenty minutes. At the end, when they were back indoors, the Capitol attendants directed Link, Katniss, and Peeta towards the elevators. Another girl dressed in a tree costume followed them in. She took off her leafy headdress, and let it fall.

Johanna Mason. She won by portraying herself as a weakling in the games, when it turned out that she was a real killer. She ruffled up her hair. "Isn't my costume awful? My stylist's the biggest idiot in the Capitol. Our tributes have been trees for forty years under her. Wish I'd gotten Cinna. You look fantastic.

Katniss replied, "Yeah, he's been helping me design my own clothing line. You should see what he can do with velvet."

"I have. On your tour. The strapless number you wrote in District Two? The deep blue one with the diamonds? So gorgeous I wanted to reach through the screen and year it right off your back."

After saying that, Johanna unzipped her tree costume, and let it drop to the ground. She kicked it away in disgust. All she wore were her forest green slippers. Nothing else.

Link and Katniss just stood awkwardly in the corner while Peeta and the now naked Johanna chatted. When Johanna exited the elevator when it reached her floor, Link felt a surge of relief.

When they made it to the twelfth floor, Link said bye to Katniss and Peeta as they left. Link was the last one in the elevator.

Finally it reached his own floor. Link walked around, remembering the place from last year. Thud and Cali joined him.

"Still can't get over how amazing you look." Cali told Link. He smiled, and headed for his room.

* * *

There u have it. R&R plz!


	20. Chapter 19

I have written some chapters in advance, so I might be updating quicker. That's not a promise.

* * *

Link remained in his room, washing his face and everything until he was summoned to dinner. During dinner, he just sat and chatted away with the rest of the people. They watched a recap of the opening ceremonies, and headed to bed.

Link stripped off his clothes, and climbed into his comfy bed. Only sleep didn't overtake him immediately. He thought about the opening ceremonies, and how they were basically the first step towards his own death.

 _What a pleasant thought..._

He wondered how Zelda was. Was she worried sick? Did she hope Link would be the one to come home alive? Did she want him to abandon Katniss and Peeta so that he could live?

 _No. I won't leave Katniss and Peeta. I'll risk my life for them, like I did last time..._

But honestly... Was he doing the right thing? Was he abandoning Zelda to save Katniss and Peeta?

 _No... I wouldn't... Zelda would understand._

He left it at that, and fell asleep.

* * *

When Katniss finally came down to the dining room, she found Peeta, and a very angry Haymitch.

"You're late." He told her as soon as she entered the room.

"Sorry. I slept in after the mutilated-tongue nightmares kept me up half the night."

"All right, never mind. Toddy, in training, you've got two jobs. One, stay in love."

"Obviously." Said Katniss.

"And two, make some friends."

"Link." Katniss and Peeta said in union.

"That's not enough." Haymitch told them.

"Why not?" Said Katniss. "I don't trust any of them, I can't stand most of them, and I'd rather operate with just the three of us."

"That's what I said at first, but-" Peeta cut off.

"But it won't be enough." Haymitch insisted. "You're going to need more allies this time around."

"Why?"

"Because you're at a distinct disadvantage. Your competitors have known each other for years. So who do you think they're going to target first?"

"Us. And nothing we're going to do is going to override any old friendship," said Katniss. "So why bother?"

"Because you can fight. You're popular with the crowd. That could still make you desirable allies. But only if you let the others know you're willing to team up with them." Haymitch told her.

"You mean you want us to join in the Career pack this year?" Katniss's distaste showing clearly through her words.

"That's been our strategy, hasn't it? To train like Careers? And who makes up the Career pack is generally agreed upon before the Games begin. Peeta barely got in last year." Said Haymitch.

Katniss sighed. "So we're to try to get in with Finnick and Brutus-is that what you're saying?" Katniss didn't want Finnick, district 4 victor, or Brutus.

"Not necessarily. Everyone's a victor. Make your own pack if you'd rather. Choose who you like. I'd suggest Chaff and Seeder. Although Finnick's not to be ignored. Find someone to team up with who might be of some use to you."

Katniss thought it over. _Fine._

When they made it to the training gym, they found that Link was already there, aimlessly wandering around the room. When he spotted them, he walked over.

"Hello Katniss, Peeta."

"Hello Link." Said Peeta. Katniss nodded her hello.

They hung out until ten o'clock. Katniss explained to Link that Haymitch wanted them to make some "friends." Link told them that it was funny. Thud had told him the exact same thing that morning.

The woman who ran training and about half of the tributes showed up. She ran through the list of stations, then released them to train.

Link, Peeta, and Katniss decided to split up, thus cover more territory. Peeta left to chuck spears. Before Link could leave to train though, he felt Katniss's hand rest on his shoulder. He turned to meet her eyes.

"What's wrong, Katniss?" He asked gently. Katniss hesitated before looking around the room to make sure no one was listening.

"I need you to make sure Peeta survives." She told him.

"What?" Asked Link.

"If we are in danger, and we need your help, I need you to help him first. I can't let him die."

"Then you'll die."

"I know... I guess it's unfair for me to ask that from you though. You saved us once already. I shouldn't be asking you to sacrifice your own life again..." Katniss looked down in guilt.

"Honestly, Katniss, sacrificing my life for you two has been my plan all along." Katniss met his sad, blue eyes again.

"Thank you." Link squeezed her shoulder, and walked off to a station. Katniss headed over to the knot-tying station.

Katniss, while making friends with the district three tributes, discovered that the Gamemakers watching them had a force field around their table. She smiled. Katniss had shot an arrow at them last year. That's probably why it was up.

When lunch was announced, Link, Katniss, and Peeta all joined up again. They ended up sitting next to Chaff, a man from district 11, who spoke too loud, and made bad jokes a lot.

* * *

After lunch, Katniss, Peeta, and Link split up again. Katniss did some more stations, then finally headed over to the archery range. Link watched from afar as Katniss shot some silly, fake birds that were sent aloft by the archery trainer. Katniss managed to shoot down five in one round. Every eye in the gym turned on her. She looked around, and caught Link's eye. Link nodded to her. She nodded back.

After training, Link waited for Thud and Cali to arrive for dinner. During dinner, Thud told Link which tributes wanted him as their ally. A larger number than Link would have wanted.

"I don't want any of them." Said Link. "I really just want Katniss and Peeta. Although, if I need somebody else, I guess I could go with Seeder." Thud sighed, and nodded.

"Not bad."

Two days passed, and Link trained with all the effort he had. He taught a few tributes how to swing a sword properly. It was sad. Link was getting closer to the tributes. How was he going to kill them?

The final day of training ended with their private sessions. Fifteen minutes to impress the Gamemakers. Unfortunately, Link, Katniss, and Peeta had no idea what to do.

Link was scheduled to go last, right after Katniss. When all of the others had gone, the three were left alone.

"Decided what to do for the Gamemakers yet?" Peeta asked Link and Katniss. They both shook their heads.

"I can't really use them for target practice this year, with the forcefield up and all. Maybe make some fishhooks. What about you?"

"Not a clue. I keep wishing I could bake a cake or something." Said Peeta.

"Do some more camouflage." Katniss suggested.

"If the morphings have left me anything to work with. They've been glued to that station since training started." Peeta and Katniss looked at Link, who shook his head.

A few moments passed. "How are we going to kill these people?" asked Katniss.

"I don't know." Peeta and Link said together.

The Gamemakers called Peeta, so Link and Katniss waited by themselves in silence. About forty minutes passed before Katniss was called. Link nodded her good luck, and she entered the room. about fifteen minutes later, Link was finally called in.

The first thing he noticed was the upset looks on the Gamemakers' faces. Katniss must have done something to upset them. A mat had been dragged to the center of the room, covering something on the ground.

 _What did they do?_ Link thought to himself. _I don't have anything I can do to upset them... I guess I'll just show off my skills._

A complex robot stood in the sword-fighting area. It was meant to test your sword skills, and acted very much like a human. Link headed over.

He gave the robot and himself a wooden sword. But before he started to fight the robot, he grabbed a cloth from the knot-tying station.

 _If I fail this, that's the end of it._ He tied the cloth over his eyes.

He's trained in the forest with his eyes closed countless times. He also studied the robot's movements the past few days. _This better work..._

He found the "on" switch on the robot, and began to fight.

He could hear the wooden blade of the robot whooshing towards him. He was able to block the attacks. A few minutes of defense passed before Link actually began to attack the robot, still blindfolded. He didn't understand how it was possible, but it was working. He could hear the faint gasps of the Gamemakers.

Link suddenly felt the robot knock him to the ground harshly. He heard the blade come whooshing down on him. He quickly blocked the attack. But then all was still. No more whooshing. The robot had been shut down.

"You may go now, Mr. Avalon." He heard the head Gamemaker say. He stood, took off the blindfold, and bowed slightly, and exited the room.

* * *

I really couldn't think of anything for Link to do in there. I would have loved for him to do something against the Capitol, but I just plain do not know how. R&R plz!


	21. Chapter 20

...

* * *

Link had dinner with Thud, Cali, and his stylist that night. Thud immediately asked, "how did it go?"

"Eh." Link shrugged one shoulder.

"Oh, come on." Cali told him.

Link sighed. "You know that sword training robot in the gym?" Everyone in the room nodded. "I fought it blindfolded." Everyone fell silent. Thud stopped his fork right before it entered his mouth.

"Did you now?" He asked. Link nodded.

"How's that possible?" Asked his stylist. Link shrugged again.

"How did _that_ go?" Asked Cali.

"Pretty well, at first. But then it managed to strike me down at the end."

Link's stylist chuckled. "You really are the descendant of the hero." Link smiled sheepishly.

The rest of dinner was silent. When all four got up, Thud suggested figuring out their training scores. They gathered around the television set. They watched as the training scores were given to each tribute. One through twelve.

"Oh yeah," Link recalled. "When I entered the gym, the Gamemakers looked rather upset. I wonder what Katniss and Peeta did before I arrived." Katniss's and Peeta's faces showed up on the screen with the number twelve dancing beneath them.

"Wow." Said everyone there.

Link's face showed on the screen. The number ten appeared below it.

"Hah! Not bad!" Exclaimed Thud. Link grinned. He headed to bed.

The next day, Link had to be prepared for the televised interview that would be taking place the next night. But he saw a note saying that he was already prepared, and didn't need coaching.

 _An entire day to myself._ Thought Link. He walked out of his room, running into Katniss and Peeta in the halls.

"Oh, hi!" He said.

"Hello." Peeta greeted.

"What are you two doing on the thirteenth floor?"

"Well," said Katniss. "We were going to hang out on the roof for the day, since Haymitch and Effie canceled our coaching sessions."

"Really? Cali and Thud canceled mine as well!"

"Cool! We were going to ask you if you wanted to join us." Link's face brightened before he nodded. "Great!"

They ordered a bunch of food, grabbed some blankets, and headed up to the roof for a day long picnic. There was a beautiful flower garden up there with wind chimes.

They ate, lied in the sun. Katniss practiced her knots. Peeta sketched a picture of her. Link played his ocarina. They made a game where they through an apple into the force field that surrounded the roof, and another person had to catch it.

No one bothered them. Katniss lay down with her head on Peeta's lap. Peeta fiddled with her hair. Link watched from a short distance away. Suddenly, Peeta's hands went still. "What?" Asked Katniss.

"I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever." Peeta replied.

"Okay."

"Then you'll allow it?" Peeta smiled.

"I'll allow it." Peeta resumed messing with her hair. Link watched as Katniss dozed off.

Peeta heard Link's footsteps as he walked over and sat down. He sighed without looking up at Link. "I hate the games."

"Don't we all?" Came the reply. Peeta laughed slightly, then fell silent.

After a while he spoke. "You still love Zelda, right?" Link sighed before speaking.

"More than anything." He replied softly. He stared at his hands. He closed his eyes, and leaned back, his hands resting on his stomach. Peeta looked down at him. Link's chest rose and fell slowly. Peeta noted that even though Link wasn't asleep, he looked peaceful.

"How did you and Zelda meet?" Link didn't open his eyes when he answered.

"At school. She just walked up to me during lunch, and sat right next to me, sensing that I felt lonely at the time." Peeta nodded. Link inhaled deeply. "I wish more than anything to see her again." Peeta looked down at Katniss's sleeping face.

Link's eyes opened. "I love her." His voice was barely more than a whisper. "This is wrong. I love her. We all have those we love back at home." His breath shook slightly. "These games are so terribly wrong." He shook his head. "I can't stand it." Peeta could almost hear the gears clicking in Link's head. "I've gotta start acting more like the hero. I don't know how, but I have to rebel against the Capitol. Somehow. Like what you told Katniss last year. To show them that I am more than just a piece in their games." The more he spoke, the faster he spoke. "I hate the games. I hate the Capitol. I don't care what they do to me. I will always fight back." Link sat up. "I'm going to speak about our loved ones for the interview. No doubt I'm going to pay for it, but I don't care."

Peeta smiled sadly at him.

After a while, the sun began to set with beautiful colors of yellow and orange. Peeta roused Katniss. "I didn't think you'd want to miss it."

"Thanks" said Katniss.

They stayed up on the roof past dinner. No one came to summon them. They remained there until bedtime. They headed to their rooms.

The next morning, Link was awoken by his prep team. There wasn't much talk as they prepared him for the interview that night. Link felt them paint some kind of a symbol on his forehead with a dark-green paint. He watched them paint a triangle pattern on his shoulder. He recognized it immediately. It was the same triangle pattern that was displayed on his ocarina.

After lunch, Link found it rather strange that his prep team messed with the wolf scar on his chest, making it more visible. He wondered what his stylist was planning.

His stylist walked in with a bag in his hand. Link's prep team left the room.

"What am I wearing this time?" Link asked his stylist. "More green?" His stylist nodded. He unzipped the bag, and instructed Link to put on the outfit. He obeyed. When his stylist showed him to a mirror, Link understood what he was supposed to look like.

He wore tan colored pants that fell just below his knees. They were ripped at the hem, giving them a ragged look. His feet were bare. His shirt was made of real wolf fur, colored a dark green. The hem of the shirt fell from his left hip, down to his mid-thigh on his right leg. On his right hip was some kind of swirly symbol that seemed to represent the forest. (Kokiri tribe symbol) his right sleeve fell down to his mid-forearm. His left sleeve cut off at his shoulder, so you could still see the triangle pattern. On his left wrist was a dark colored cuff, kind of like what you would see in a prison. A broken chain about three fourths a foot long dangled from it. The collar crawled up his throat. His forehead had some kind of symbol on it. (Think about the symbol on wolf link's forehead. That's what I'm talking about.) A wolf tail fell down the back of his legs. But the thing that Link knew would attract the most attention, were three rips in the outfit, designed to look like a wolf clawed him there. The rips laid right above his scar.

Link slowly ran his fingers over the rips, touching his bare skin, as well as the scars. "I'm a wolf." He said. His stylist nodded.

"The wolf of the forest. Descendant of the hero. The hero would be proud of you." Link beamed.

"You think?"

"I _know_. And those rips? They're to make you look tough. Like you're saying, 'yeah, I got attacked by a wolf. I killed it. I have the marks to prove it. Don't mess with me.'" Link laughed.

"That doesn't really sound like me." He said.

"Then make it." his stylist replied. Link shook his head.

"You know I can't do that." His stylist didn't reply this time. Link turned to face him, his tail flying out, curling around his legs, then unravelling itself. "Thank you." His stylist nodded, and sent him on his way.

Link waited offstage as the other tributes arrived slowly. He chatted with them. Some commented on his wolf outfit. They asked about his visible scars. Others just glared daggers at him. As soon as Peeta and Katniss arrived, Link approached him.

"Hello! Getting married, are we?" Link asked him while the other tributes just stared. Peeta wore an elegant tuxedo and white gloves. Clothes that grooms would wear when getting married. Katniss wore the most beautiful white gown, pearls covering her. They smiled solemnly.

"You wish." Said Peeta.

Finnick spoke from behind Link to Katniss. "I can't believe Cinna put you in that thing."

"He didn't have a choice. President Snow made him." Katniss said defensively.

Cashmere, district one, tossed her flowing golden hair behind her back. "Well, you look ridiculous!" She grabbed her brother's hand, yet another tribute, and pulled him into place to lead their procession into the stage.

"What's this?" Katniss asked Link, touching a light hand to his chest.

"I got attacked by a wolf after the tour. My stylist wanted to show it off."

"Ouch." Said Peeta. Link nodded in agreement, and took his place in line.

Before he knew it, he was sitting onstage in front of the whole world.

Each of the tributes had prepared a little speech just for the interview. Cashmere spoke about how she couldn't stop crying when she thought about how the people in the Capitol may be suffering they will lose their victors. Finnick recited a love poem for the one he loved in the Capitol. Johanna asked if something can't be done in the situation. Chaff insisted that the president could change Quell if he wanted to, but he must not think that it matters to anyone.

By the time Katniss was introduced, the audience was an absolute wreck. The sight of her in her bridal dress practically caused a riot. Everyone loved Katniss and Peeta, the star-crossed lovers of district twelve, and it was all gone. Caesar Flickerman finally managed to quiet them for Katniss to speak.

"So, Katniss, obviously this is a very emotional night for everyone. Is there anything you'd like to say?" Caesar asked.

Katniss replied, "only that I'm so sorry you don't get to be at my wedding... But I'm glad you at least get to see me in my dress. Isn't it just... The most beautiful thing?" She raised her arms, and began to twirl slowly.

Link gasped along with the screams of the audience.

Fire.

Flames of bright orange licked around Katniss's twirling body. It looked more real than ever before. Even she looked scared, but she kept on going. Pearls clattered onto the stage. The fire devoured her dress until the white silk was completely gone, replaced with a black gown made of tiny feathers. Her sleeves had white patches on them. Link watched as she stopped twirling, and rose her arms in the air.

Cinna has turned Katniss into a mockingjay.

* * *

OMGOSH! Mockingjay! R&R plz! ;)


	22. Chapter 21

Y'all ready for this!?

sorry...couldn't help it.

* * *

Link watched as Caesar Flickerman reached out with a tentative hand, and touched Katniss's black veil that fell down her back.

"Feathers." He said. "You're like a bird."

"A mockingjay, I think." Katniss replied. She flapped her wings slightly. "It's the bird on the pin I wear as a token.

"Well, hats off to your stylist. I don't think anyone can argue that's not the most spectacular thing we've ever seen in an interview. Cinna, I think you'd better take a bow!" Caesar gestured for Cinna to stand. He did, and made a small, gracious bow. The audience burst in applause. Link clapped with them. Why not? Katniss was his friend after all. Katniss made her way over, and sat down next to Peeta. Peeta stood, and walked up to the front of the stage for his interview. They opened with a few jokes, but then Caesar asked the question.

"So, Peeta, what was it like when, after all you've been through, you found out about the Quell?"

"I was in shock." He replied. "One minute I'm seeing Katniss looking so beautiful in all these wedding gowns, and the next..."

"You realized there was never going to be a wedding?" Caesar asked gently. Peeta paused, as if thinking over something.

"Caesar, do you think all our friends here can keep a secret?"

An uncomfortable laugh came from the audience. The whole world was watching. It wouldn't be much of a secret any more.

"I feel quite certain of it." Said Caesar.

"We're already married." Peeta said quietly. The crowd gasped. Link looked to his right in confusion, at Katniss. Katniss buried her face in her skirt.

"But... How can that be?" Asked Caesar.

"Oh, it's not an official marriage. We didn't go to the Justice Building or anything. But we have this marriage ritual in District Twelve. I don't know what it's like in the other districts. But there's this thing we do." Said Peeta. He briefly described a toasting tradition that they have back in their district.

"Were your families there?"

"No, we didn't tell anyone. Not even Haymitch. And Katniss's mother would have never approved. But you see, we knew if we were married in the Capitol, there wouldn't be a toasting. And neither of us really wanted to wait any longer. So one day, we just did it," said Peeta. "And to us, we're more married than any piece of paper or big party could make us."

"So this was before the Quell?"

"Of course before the Quell. I'm sure we'd never have done it after we knew." Peeta sounded upset. "But who could've seen it coming? No one. We went through the Games, we were victors, everyone seemed so thrilled to see us together, and then out of nowhere-I mean, how could we anticipate a thing like that?"

"You couldn't, Peeta" said Caesar, putting an arm around his shoulder. "As you say, no one could've. But I have to confess, I'm glad you two had at least a few months of happiness together."

The crowd erupted in an enormous applause. Link looked back at Katniss. She lifted her face from her skirt, and smiled. Link placed a hand on her shoulder. Katniss turned her smile towards him. Link returned it, and let go.

"I'm not glad." Said Peeta. "I wish we had waited until this whole thing was done officially."

Caesar was taken aback. "Surely a brief time is better than no time?"

"Maybe I'd think that too, Caesar...if it weren't for the baby."

Link's eyes widened like saucers. He turned back to Katniss, who turned back to him. Her face looked slightly confused.

Katniss was pregnant.

She stared. Her gaze was turned back to the audience as the crowd started shouting accusations of injustice and barbarism and cruelty. They started moaning and shrieking like wounded animals.

Peeta's buzzer sounded, indicating that his time was up. He nodded his goodbye, and walked back to his seat. Link walked up to the front, knowing that he probably won't be able to do his interview if the audience didn't shut up. Caesar tried to rein in the crowd, but unsuccessfully. Link stood there patiently. Minutes passed.

Link finally placed a hand on Caesar's shoulder. He shook his head, indicating that there was no point in trying to calm the crowd. Caesar finally gave up. He turned towards Link. They didn't speak to each other, knowing that they would be unheard, for the crowd was too loud. Caesar looked curiously at Link's scars. Link looked down at them as well, traced them with a finger, then looked back up, smiling sheepishly. "Wolf." He mouthed. Caesar's eyebrows went up. He heard his buzzer go off. Link sighed, and took his seat.

The anthem boomed loudly. All the tributes stood like instructed at this point. Link saw that Peeta had tears running down his cheeks. Peeta and Katniss locked hands. Peeta took Link's hand. Katniss offered Chaff her own hand. Up and down the row, the victors joined hands. A public show of unity between the districts. They couldn't edit this out in the recaps. It was too late. Everyone had seen it.

The lights went out, and the tributes walked blindly off the stage. Link miraculously managed to get in an elevator with Peeta and Katniss. He silently asked them with his eyes if it was true. If they really were married. If Katniss really was pregnant. In response, Peeta shook his head. Katniss followed suit.

No, Katniss and Peeta never married.

No, Katniss was not pregnant.

Link nodded knowingly. Peeta and Katniss exited the elevator when it reached their floor. Link sighed.

He reached his own floor, and headed straight to his room, silently. To his bed.

* * *

Did he sleep? Maybe. If so, he didn't remember. His stylist entered his room at dawn, and accompanied him to the roof. Link mounted the ladder to the hovercraft. The electric current froze him in place, until he reached the hovercraft, and the doctor injected the tracker into his arm left forearm. Now the Gamemakers would always be able to locate him in the arena.

Link sat quietly in the hovercraft, taking small bites of food, and sips of water.

He and his stylist reached the launch room at the arena, Link showered. His stylist helped him dress in simple undergarments. A light, gray shirt, and matching shorts. The uniform that year was a fitted, blue jumpsuit, made of a very sheer material, that zippered up the front. A six-inch wide padded belt covered in shiny purple plastic. A pair of nylon shoes with rubber soles.

Link's stylist examined the material of the jumpsuit. "Won't be very protective against natural causes. Maybe sun." Link nodded as he stepped into the uniform. "Here." His stylist handed him something. His ocarina.

He stared at the blue instrument. "...Thank you." Link spoke for the first time that morning. They sat together quietly until a voice told him to prepare for the launch. His stylist nodded, and led him to the circular metal plate that would lift him up, into the arena. The glass cylinder slid around him. Link nodded his thanks to his stylist. His stylist nodded back. The metal plate began to rise. Rise him right up into the arena...

A breeze caught in his hair before his eyes came in focus with the bright sunlight. He looked around, squinting. It felt tropical. And hot. Like district 4. He looked down.

 _Water..._ He thought. _Water in every direction..._

 _Where am I?_

* * *

Let the games begin! a second time! R&R plz!


	23. Chapter 22

Here we go. enjoy!

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games begin!" The loud voice of the Hunger Games announcer, Claudius Templesmith, hammered in Link's ears.

 _Where am I?_ He thought again, looking around frantically. He had less than a minute to decide what to do next.

 _Okay._ He began to make mental notes. _Bright blue water, pink sky, hot sun._ He continued looking around. _There's the Cornucopia._ He thought. Sure enough, there it was, about forty yards away on a small island in the water. Coming from the small island were thin strips of land that looked like spokes on a wheel. Link estimated that there were about twelve spokes. Between each spoke were two tributes, stranded on their metal plates. Link's spokes were the only exception. To his right was a spoke, to his left was another one of the tributes. Beyond her was another tribute, then another land spoke.

A beach circled around the circumstance of the water, another forty yards away. Beyond the beach was some dense greenery. Link scanned around to look for Katniss and Peeta. Peeta was a long distance away, and Katniss must have been on the other side of the Cornucopia.

Link caught some water as it washed over his shoes. He touched a finger to his tongue. Just as he suspected. Salt water.

As soon as the gong sounded, Link plunged into the water, and swam towards the giant, golden horn, not letting go of his ocarina. He cut quite effortlessly through the water, surprisingly. He pulled himself into a land strip, and sprinted down it to the small island.

Last year, the supplies were spread out quite a distance around the Cornucopia, with the most valuable things closest to the horn. This year, it was just piled at the twenty-foot-high mouth.

Link discovered that Katniss and Finnick had already made it to the island. They faced each other, Katniss's bow was lowered. _Looks like she already got an ally._ Link thought. As soon as he stepped onto the island, Katniss and Finnick pointed their sharp weapons at him. Finnick with a trident and a net, Katniss with a bow. Link's arms shot in the air, signalling for them not to shoot. "Easy! It's me!" Katniss lowered her bow.

"Hello Link." She said. Finnick lowered his trident.

"Hello Katniss" Link put his arms down. "Fancy meeting you here. Where's Peeta?"

"Don't know. We'll find him." Finnick replied. Link nodded. He grabbed a sword, and strapped it around his back.

"That's better." He said.

"Each take one side?" Asked Katniss. Finnick nodded, and took another side. Link took the front.

"Anything useful?" Called Finnick.

"Weapons!" Katniss replied. "Nothing but weapons!"

"Same here. Grab what you want, and let's go!" Link obeyed. He found a small pouch, tied it around his belt, and placed his ocarina in it. He grabbed a long knife, putting that in his belt as well.

He watched Katniss as she shot some arrows at some incoming tributes. She grabbed a second bow and sheath of arrows, slinging them over her body. She took two long knives and an awl. Katniss stuck them in her belt.

Link, Katniss, and Finnick met up at the front of the pile.

"Do something about that, would you?" Finnick pointed at Brutus, who's running towards them with his belt undone, stretched out in front of him like a shield. Katniss shot at him. He blocked the arrow with his belt, but as soon as the arrow pierced his belt, a purple liquid spewed forth, coating his face. Brutus suddenly flattened on the ground, and rolled into the water.

"Let's clear out." Said Link. The others agreed with a nod, and looked around. They saw the tributes coming in from every direction. Okay, there's Peeta, still stranded on his metal plate. Katniss took off with Link and Finnick at her tail. Katniss was about to jump in the water to retrieve Peeta, when Finnick stopped her.

"I'll get him."

Link felt suspicion flicker upwards. "I can." Insisted Katniss.

"Better not exert yourself. Not in your condition." Finnick patted Katniss's abdomen.

 _Right._ Thought Link and Katniss together. _She's supposed to be pregnant._

Before Link could protest, say that he himself could fetch Peeta, Finnick said, "cover me," and took off in the water. The Careers were picking over the weapons. Most of the tributes were still standing on their plates.

Mags, an eighty year old woman from district 4 that Katniss wanted as an ally on the first day of training, started swimming towards them.

Finnick was soon towing Peeta back. Peeta rode along without resisting. When they reached the land strip, Link helped them up. Peeta gave Katniss a quick kiss. "Hello again." He said. "We've got allies."

"Yes, just as Haymitch intended." Answered Katniss. Link smiled.

"Remind me, did we make deals with anyone else?" Asked Peeta.

"Only Mags, I think." Katniss nodded. Link looked over, and saw the gray head of the old woman bob up and down in the water. She swam closer to them.

"Well, I can't leave Mags behind." Said Finnick. "She's one of the few people who actually likes me."

"I've got no problem with Mags." Said Katniss. "Especially now that I see the arena. Her fishhooks are probably of best chance of getting a meal."

"Katniss wanted her on the first day." Said Peeta.

"Katniss has remarkably good judgement." Finnick reached down, and lifted Mags from the water effortlessly. She made a remark that only Finnick could understand.

"Look, she's right. Someone figured it out." Finnick pointed to Beetee, who flailed around in the water, but was managing to keep his head above the waves.

"What?" Asked Katniss.

"The belts. Their floatation devices." Finnick replied, patting his belt. "I mean, you have to propel yourself, but they'll keep you from drowning."

"Let's go." Said Link.

"Oh, good." Said Finnick. "I was afraid you somehow lost your voice while I was getting Peeta or something. You wouldn't speak." Link chuckled slightly. Katniss handed Peeta a bow, a sheath of arrows, and a knife, keeping the rest for himself. But Mags wouldn't leave her alone until she handed the awl to her.

Finnick tossed his net over his shoulder, and placed Mags on top of it. The five ran away from the Cornucopia.

They made it to the beach on the circumference of the body of water. Where the sand ends, woods begin sharply. Actually, _jungle_ might be a better word to describe it. The trees had smooth bark, and few branches.

Peeta took the lead, cutting through the patches of dense vegetation with his knife. Finnick came next in line, Mags on his back, then Link, and Katniss at the end. They climbed for about mile before Finnick requested a break. Everybody was already out of breath, and Mags needed to be put down on the jungle floor for a bit.

* * *

Katniss climbed a tree to get a better view if the arena. She wished that she hadn't. The water and ground quite a distance away now was covered in blood. Dead bodies lied around. Other bodies still fought. She hoped that after last night that the victors would show some restraint or reluctance in killing each other. _And you all knew each other._ She thought. _You acted like friends._

 _I only have two true friends in here. And neither of them are from District 4._

When she landed, Finnick asked, "what's going on down there, Katniss? Have they all joined hands? Taken a vow of nonviolence? Tossed their weapons in the sea in defiance of the Capitol?"

"No." Katniss replied.

"No." Repeated Finnick. "Because whatever happened in the last is in the past. And no one in this arena was a victor by chance. Except maybe Peeta and Link."

Katniss held his gaze. She wanted to kill him, and be over with it. She weighed his speed against her own. The time it would take her arrow to reach his body, versus the time his trident would reach her's. Peeta suddenly stepped between the two. "So, how many are dead?"

 _Move, you idiot._ Thought Katniss. She could feel Link's eyes staring at her, Peeta, and Finnick from the side.

"Hard to say." Responded Katniss. "At least six, I think, and they're still fighting." She sat down. So did the others. Katniss looked up at Link, who looked rather sad. "What's wrong Link? You haven't said anything ever since we left the water." Link merely shook his head, and sighed. He leaned his head back on a tree, and shut his eyes. Katniss slumped over in defeat, and leaned her head on Peeta's shoulder.

"Let's keep moving. We need water." Said Peeta.

"Better find some soon." Said Finnick. "We need to be undercover when the others come hunting is tonight."

They continued trekking for another mile, reaching the base of a hill. "Maybe we'll have better luck on the other side. Find a spring or something." Said Katniss.

But then she found something. Something that the others failed to see. A funny, rippling square, hovering in the air. She remembered what the District 3 tributes told her on the first day of training. The rippling square. A chink in the armor. The armor of a force field. She cried out a warning to Peeta, but it was too late. Peeta swung his knife into the invisible force field.

There was sharp, zapping noise. For a second, the trees vanished, revealing a stretch of bare earth before the trees reappeared. Peeta was flung back, bringing Finnick and Mags to the ground. Link sidestepped before he was hit.

"Peeta!" Katniss heard Link cry out as the two ran to him.

"Peeta?" Asked Katniss. "Peeta?" She shook him. She placed a finger over his lips. She didn't feel the warm breath. She saw Link place two fingers at his throat, feeling for a pulse. Despite that, Katniss placed an ear on Peeta's chest, where she knew she would hear the strong, steady thump of his heart.

Link gasped as his fingers pulled away from his neck.

Neither him nor Katniss managed to find a pulse.

* * *

I'm a terrible author. if you think otherwise, please let me know. R&R plz!


	24. Chapter 23

... i hope u enjoy this.

* * *

"Peeta!" Katniss screamed, shaking him harder, slapping his face. Link sat, eyes wide. Finnick dropped Mags against a tree, and pushed the two out of the way.

"Let me." He said. He pinched Peeta's nose shut.

"No!" Katniss hurled herself at him. Finnick hand came and hit her so hard that she flew back. Link managed to catch her. He touched her chest, making sure that she was okay. Katniss was obviously having difficulty breathing, but other than that, she seemed fine. Before Katniss was able to notch an arrow on her bow, Link pinned her arms back. The more she struggled, the harder Link held on. "No! Link, let go of me!" She suddenly stopped when she saw Finnick _kissing_ Peeta. The sight was so bizzare, that she forgot about escaping Link's strong grip.

No, Finnick wasn't kissing him, but breathing air into his lungs. Link and Katniss could see Peeta's chest rising and falling. Suddenly Katniss realized what he was trying to do. Something that Link realized before she did. Finnick unzipped the top of Peeta's jumpsuit, and began to pump over his heart. Link loosened his grip on Katniss.

After a few minutes of this, Peeta gave a small cough. Katniss flung herself at him. Link didn't hold her back this time. "Peeta?" She asked softly. Peeta's lashes fluttered open.

"Careful." He said weakly. "There's a force field up ahead."

Katniss laughed with tears streaming down her face. Link sighed deeply in relief, and placed a hand on Finnick's shoulder. Finnick looked at him, and smiled.

"Must be a lot stronger than the one on the Training Centre roof." Peeta continued. "In all right, though. Just a little shaken."

"You were dead! Your heart stopped!" Katniss burst out. She began making choking noises, like she does when she sobs, so she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Well, it seems to be working now. It's all right, Katniss." Katniss nodded, still making those choking sounds. "Katniss?"

"It's okay." Said Finnick. "It's just her hormones. From the baby."

"No, it's not-" Katniss was cut off by her own sobs.

Finnick nodded at Peeta. "How are you? Do you think you could move on?"

"No, he has to rest." Said Katniss. Her nose was running. Mags ripped off a handful of moss, and handed it to her. Katniss blew her nose on it and mopped her tears off.

Katniss suddenly looked down at Peeta and retrieved a golden disk that hung from a chain around his neck. A mockingjay was engraved on it. "Is this your token?"

"Yes. Do you mind that I used your mockingjay? I wanted us to match."

"No, of course I don't mind." Katniss smiled. It looked forced.

"So, you want to make camp here, then?" Asked Finnick.

"I don't think that's an option." Answered Peeta. "Staying here. With no water. No protection. I feel all right, really. If we could just go slowly."

"Slowly would be better than not at all." Said Finnick.

Link wandered over, and silently offered his left hand to Peeta. Peeta was hesitant in taking it, probably because of the look on Link's face. It was blank. Not smiling. Not frowning. His eyes looked rather sad, though. Peeta took his hand, and Link strongly helped him up.

"I'll take the lead." Announced Katniss. Peeta started to object, but Finnick cut him off.

"No, let her do it." He frowned at Katniss. "You knew that force field was there, didn't you? Right at the last second? You started to give a warning." Katniss nodded. "How did you know?"

Katniss hesitated before speaking. "I don't know. It's almost as if I could hear it. Listen." Everyone became still.

"I don't hear anything." Said Peeta.

"Yes." Katniss insisted. "It's like when the fence around District Twelve is on, only much, much quieter." They all listened again. "There! Can't you hear it? It's coming from right where Peeta got shocked."

"I don't hear it either." Said Finnick. "What about you, Link? You've got large ears." Link listened for a few more seconds before silently shaking his head.

"That's weird." Said Katniss. She turned her head from side to side. "I can only hear it out of my left ear."

"The one the Capitol reconstructed?" Asked Peeta.

"Yeah." Katniss shrugged. "Maybe they did a better job than I thought. You know, sometimes I do hear funny things on that side. Things you wouldn't ordinarily think have a sound. Like insect wings. Or snow hitting the ground."

Mags nudged her forward, so she took the lead. Peeta next, then Mags, who had a cane that Finnick fashioned for her, then Finnick, then Link bringing up the rear.

Katniss threw nuts at the force field to make sure where it was. They hit the field, then a puff of smoke followed. The nuts landed on the ground with a burnt black color. Mags began eating them.

"Mags!" Cried Katniss. "Spit that out. It could be poisonous." Mags ignored her, licking her lips. Finnick laughed.

"I guess we'll find out." He said. Katniss looked to the back, finding that even Link had a smile on his face. She shook her head.

Katniss continued throwing nuts for another hour before she realized it was hopeless. The force field always seemed to be going off to the right, preventing them from moving left. They were not going to find water if they kept this up. She looked back. "Let's take a break." She said. "I need to get another look from above.

Link sat down and rested his body against a tree. He sighed, closing his eyes. He was so thirsty and tired. His eyes reopened when he heard someone sit beside him. It was Finnick.

"You haven't spoken a word for over an hour. What's wrong?" He asked. Link sighed again, and looked away.

"I don't know." Link finally spoke. "I just haven't felt like talking. I mean, last year I hardly said anything. Remember?"

"Well, that's probably because you never had any allies then. But you do now." Link shook his head.

"We're all going to have to die at some point."

Finnick sighed. Link leaned his head back.

"There might be another way." Finnick finally said. Link looked at him. Finnick shook his head. "I don't know."

They sat in silence for another minute before Katniss came back from the top of her tree to give them some bad news.

"The force field has is trapped in a circle. A dome, really." Said Katniss. "I don't know how high it goes. There's the Cornucopia, the sea, then the jungle all around. Very exact. Very symmetrical."

"Did you see any water?" Asked Finnick.

"Only the saltwater where we started the games."

"There must be some other source of water." Said Peeta, frowning. "Or we'll all be dead in a matter of days."

"Well, the foliage is thick. Maybe there are ponds or springs somewhere." Said Katniss doubtfully. "At any rate, there's no point in trying to find out what's over the edge of this hill, because the answer is nothing."

"There must be drinkable water between the force field and the wheel." Insisted Link.

"Oh, good. You can talk." Said Katniss. Link grunted.

The tributes didn't want to go back down. Back down to bloodshed. To the Careers. Searching for water. Especially with Peeta's condition, and Mags being unable to defend herself. They decided to move down the slope a few hundred yards and continue circling. It was so hot. By midafternoon, it was clear that Peeta and Mags couldn't go on.

Finnick chose a campsite about ten yards below the force field, saying that they could use it as a weapon of they got attacked. Peeta collected some nuts while Mags and Finnick began weaving mats out of the long grass. Katniss and Link stood guard.

Katniss couldn't stand the thirst. "I'm going to go hunt some more for water. Don't worry, I won't go far."

"I'll go too." Said Peeta.

"No, I'm going to do some hunting if I can. I won't be long." She took off.

Link's eyes followed her until she disappeared from view. He sighed as he sat down, still on guard. Peeta sat down next to him.

"How are you?" He asked.

"Thirsty." Link replied. Peeta nodded understandingly.

"I hope Katniss comes back with some water."

"Don't get your hopes up."

Peeta sighed. "I know."

Link touched his left hand to his dry lips. He shut his tired eyes, leaning against a tree. He rested his right hand on his stomach. He sat like that for a few minutes before reaching into the small pouch tied to his belt. He lifted his token from it. His blue ocarina. He licked his chapped lips before raising the mouthpiece to them. He began to play softly.

Finnick and Mags looked up from their grass mats to listen. Peeta's eyes fell on his instrument. It was a sad tune. It played of loneliness and hard times. It played of mourning and broken hearts. Of hunger and thirst. Of need. Link had put it all into song. The birds stood silent. When he finished, Finnick spoke.

"Wow." He said. "Did you write that?" Link shook his head.

"No. I improvised it on the spot." Finnick's eyebrows rose.

"You have an excellent talent."

Link bowed his head slightly. "Thank you." Finnick smiled slightly. Peeta and Mags remained silent. They continued weaving grass.

Suddenly, the sound of a cannon startled the peace. The bloodbath at the Cornucopia must have been over. The cannon shot repeatedly. Link counted the shots.

"Eight." said Link when the cannon seemed to have shot it's last for the time being. the others nodded. Eight tributes dead.

About half an hour later, Katniss returned. She held a strange looking rodent that has been skinned. She shook her head at the anxious faces pointed in her direction. "No. No water. It's out there, though. He knew where it was." She rose the rodent. "He'd been drinking recently when I shot him out of a tree, but I couldn't find his source. I swear, I covered every inch of land in a thirty-yard radius."

"Can we eat him?" Asked Peeta.

"I don't know for sure. But his meat doesn't look that different from a squirrel's. He ought to be cooked..." Katniss stood deep in thought. Peeta walked over, took a cube of the rodent meat, skewered it with a pointed stick, and let it fall into the force field. The chunk of meat was blackened on the outside, but well cooked on the inside. The others gave him a brief round of applause, before they remembered where they were, and stopped.

Evening fell. They began to eat the nuts that Peeta collected, and the rodent that Katniss killed, which they decided to call a tree rat.

Night came quickly. They all laid beneath the grass mats that Mags and Finnick had used to make a small hut. When the moon came out, everyone knew what was coming. They stood at the mouth of the hut, watching the sky. Link saw Peeta slip his hand into Katniss's.

The anthem began to play as the dead tributes' faces appeared in the sky. The man from District 5, the male morphling from 6, Cecelia and Woof from 8, both from 9, the woman from 10, and Seeder from 11. The sky suddenly went dark, except for the moon.

They sat back down in the hut. Minutes passed in silence before a silver parachute glided down and landed before them. They all stared at it, not moving.

"Whose is it, do you think?" Katniss finally asked.

"No telling." Said Finnick. "Why don't we let Peeta claim it, since he died today?"

Peeta untied the cord and flattened out the circle of silk. A small metal object. Link had no idea what it was. The others seemed equally puzzled.

"What is it?" Asked Katniss. They started passing it around. It was a hollow metal tube, tapered slightly at one end, a small lip that curved downwards at the other. It could be anything, really.

Link blew into one end to see if it made a sound. Nope. Finnick slipped it onto his pinky, testing it as a weapon. Useless.

"Can you fish with it, Mags?" Katniss asked the old woman. Mags shook her head, grunting. Katniss rolled out back and forth on her palm. She stared hard at it, lifting it to the moonlight. Looking at it from different angles. Suddenly, she jammed it into the dirt.

"I give up. Maybe if we hook up with Beetee or Wiress they can figure it out." Link felt his shoulders fall. He fell back with a quiet thump, his hands resting on his abdomen. He shut his eyes. Finnick lied down beside him. His eyes didn't open. Several minutes passed. Sleep never took over any of them.

"A spile!" Katniss suddenly exclaimed. Link sat bolt upright. He watched Katniss dig the metal object from the earth.

"What?" Asked Finnick. Katniss studied the object some more.

"It's a spile. Sort of like a faucet. You put it in a tree and sap comes out. Well, the right sort of tree."

"Sap?" Asked Finnick.

"To make syrup." Said Peeta.

"... But there must be something else inside these trees..." Link concluded.

Everyone was on their feet in an instant. They approached a tree. Finnick began hammering the spile in it with a rock, but Katniss stopped him. "Wait. You might damage it. We need to drill a hole first.

Mags offered her awl. Peeta drove it straight into the bark. He, Finnick and Link worked together to open the hole more with their knives until it could hold the spile. Katniss wedged it in carefully, and they all stood back. They waited. And waited. Finally, a drop of water rolled down the lip, and onto Mags's palm. She licked it off and held out her hand for more.

They wiggled and adjusted the spile until they got a thin stream of fresh water running out. Link caught as much as he could in his hands, and splashed it into his mouth. It felt wonderful. They took turns standing underneath the tap with their mouths open. Mags took a basket so tightly woven that it could hold water, and let the water pour into it. They washed their faces.

They realized how exhausted they were, now that thirst wasn't distracting them. Katniss took the spile, and tied it around her belt. Finnick offered to take the first watch. No one objected. Link lied down, and went to sleep immediately.

* * *

"Run!"

Link snapped awake. Katniss screamed again

"Run!" Link stood, and looked at the thing that she pointed at.

A strange fog was rolling towards them. It seemed extremely thick. Way to thick to be natural. He stared hard at it.

As soon as it touched Link, his skin began to blister.

* * *

I have been waiting for this moment! R&R plz!


	25. Chapter 24

Here comes the fog. Deadly fog. enjoy!

* * *

It stung. The fog. Tiny, searing stabs. Wherever the water droplets touched him.

"Run!" Cried Katniss.

Finnick jerked awake. Peeta was on his feet, but not as alert.

"What is it? What is it?" He asked.

Link, without thinking, and before Finnick could, grabbed Mags, and ran off, His protective instincts towards everyone here taking over. Finnick ran after him. Katniss grabbed Peeta's arm, and ran after Link and Finnick.

"Some kind of poisonous gas." Katniss answered Peeta's question. "Hurry Peeta!" But it wasn't working. Peeta, still weak from dying earlier, went real slow. Much slower than usual. Katniss ran back towards him, and said, "watch my feet. Just try to step where I step." It worked slightly, but not enough.

Link and Finnick slowed down to let the two catch up. The fog still came at them. Link began shouting words of encouragement to them, Finnick joining in.

Peeta tripped suddenly. Link ran over to help them, Mags still on his back. He looked at Peeta, and realized that something else was happening to him. Something worse than the overbearingly painful blisters. The left side of his face sagged, as if every muscle in it had died. "Peeta-" Link heard Katniss say.

Link suddenly began to jerk around. It burned. It burned so much. His muscles, like Peeta's were not cooperating with him. He turned so that Mags would face away from the fog. Link managed to yank Katniss and Peeta forward, which only caused Peeta to stumble again. Trying to get Peeta up was useless. And Link was getting worse every second. His arms were barely controllable. He couldn't do it. He looked up at Katniss, who wasn't as bad as him and Peeta. Finnick came back to help. That didn't help either.

"It's no good. I'll have to carry Peeta." Said Finnick. He suddenly looked over at Link when he heard him cry out, and fall on his knees, Mags falling down with him.

"Don't worry about me!" He gritted his teeth through the pain. "I can get through... Katniss, can you handle Mags?" Katniss hesitated before squatting down, and letting Mags climb on her back. She seemed to be able to handle it for now.

Finnick took the lead with Peeta, moving in a diagonal line down the hill, keeping a distance away from the gas, while steering them towards the water the surrounded the Cornucopia. Link lunged himself forward, falling onto his arms. Katniss looked back at him with concern.

"Go!" He cried. "Go!" Katniss obeyed. Link managed to get back on his feet, and start running as fast as his weak legs could carry him.

Up ahead, Katniss began to falter. She fell, Mags still on her back. She tried to get back on her feet, but failing miserably, causing Mags to roll off. Link managed to catch up to her, collapsing when he made it. Finnick backed up again, Peeta hanging off his shoulder.

"It's no use." Katniss told him. "Can you take them both? Go on ahead, we'll catch up." Link tried to push up on his arms before feeling them go out of control, and falling again. He jerked around on the ground, his gasps sounding painful, but not enough to be the biggest concern.

"No." Link heard Finnick say. "I can't carry them both. My arms aren't working. I'm sorry Mags, I can't do it."

What happened next was so fast, Link and Katniss couldn't take it in immediately. Mags suddenly hulled herself up, planted a kiss on Finnick's lips, hobbled straight into the fog.

Link managed to cry out, not very loudly, but enough to be heard by Katniss, as he watched Mags fall to the ground through the fog in a horrible dance.

The canon blasted, indicating that she was dead. They couldn't help her. "Finnick?" Katniss called out, but Finnick had already continued his retreat from the fog. Katniss and Link staggered after him.

They followed Finnick until he collapsed on the ground, Peeta still on top of him. Katniss tripped over them. Link fell just before he reached them. He couldn't move. He couldn't do it. This was where he was going to die. He didn't bother to look back at the fog. He laid there, waiting for more pain to come. He squeezed his eyes shut.

About a minute passed.

Katniss croaked from in front of him. She tried to speak again, more clearly this time. "It's stopped." She said. Link moved his head just enough to see the fog getting vacuumed upward until it disappeared entirely. The fog was gone.

Peeta rolled off Finnick. They all laid there, gasping and twitching. Link groaned. Blisters covered his body. They stung so bad.

"Mon-hees" said Peeta. Link looked up, and spotted a pair of what he guessed were monkeys. They had orange fur, and were about half the size of a full-grown human. Link took the monkeys as a good sign. They probably wouldn't hang around if the air was deadly.

Finnick, Katniss, Link, and Peeta began to crawl, now unable to walk. They made it to the sandy beach, and headed towards the water. Link collapsed again before he made it. This time, he was unable to get back up. Finnick never made it either. Katniss and Peeta soked in the water for several minutes before feeling functionally enough to help them. They wore only their undergarments. Katniss approached Link while Peeta took over Finnick.

Katniss stripped off Link's blue jumpsuit, and the shirt he wore underneath. Link wasn't unconscious, but his eyes were closed. He trusted that Katniss knew what to do to help him, since she seemed to be fine herself after slipping into that water. She didn't drag him into the water. Link knew that her arms would be too weak to do that. Katniss went, fetched some water in her hands, carried it over, and poured it on his neck.

Link groaned in pain. It burned so badly. But he could feel the poison being drawn out. Over and over Katniss poured salt water on him. Link knew that Peeta was doing the same to Finnick, who didn't lie all that far away from himself. After a few minutes of this, He heard Katniss whisper something to Peeta, unable to make out what she said. He felt himself being pulled by his ankles into the water. First only his ankles went in. A few minutes passed. Then his mid-calf. Wait. His knees. Bit by bit he felt himself recovering. He finally opened his eyes when his body was neck-down underwater.

Katniss placed his head in her lap. He looked over at Finnick to see that he was also neck-down underwater. He seemed fine. Link was glad to see that.

"Your heads are all that's left, guys." Peeta told them. "That's the worst part, but you'll feel much better after, if you can bear it." Katniss helped Link to sit up, and Peeta did the same with Finnick. Link gripped Katniss's hand as he purged his eyes, nose, and mouth.

Peeta was right. It hurt like crazy. But it did feel much better afterward.

Katniss stayed with Link and Finnick while Peeta left to tap a tree. Link laid on the beach, still soaking, when he felt Katniss place a small object on his chest. He reached for it, bringing his ocarina within sight. Katniss had also laid his belt, shirt, knife, and sword beside him. Link put his ocarina in the pouch still tied to his belt, and sat up, slowly. Finnick did the same, testing his limbs. He went out in the water, and began to swim. His even strokes. His dives. He must have been feeling much better. He remained underwater so long that Link thought he had drowned. But then Finnick popped up right beside Katniss.

"Don't do that." Katniss told him.

"What? Come up, or stay under?"

"Either. Neither. Whatever. Just soak in the water and behave, like Link." She looked up at the young man on the beach, who looked back, and waved slightly. Katniss looked back down at Finnick. "Or if you feel this good, let's go help Peeta." They walked to the shore.

"How are you?" Katniss asked Link. In response, Link stood slowly, grabbing his belt and shirt on the way up. He gave her a small smile. Katniss smiled back. Link pulled the shirt over his bare torso, and wrapped the belt around his waist. Finnick bent over, grabbed Link's knife and sword, and handed them to Link. He took them, nodding in thanks. He stuck the knife in his belt, and strapped his sword across his back. He followed Katniss and Finnick into the jungle to help Peeta.

Katniss suddenly stopped. Link and Finnick followed suit. They followed her gaze upwards.

They had arrived so silently. And in great numbers. How long had they been standing there? Monkeys weighed down the branches of several trees, make that every one in sight. They didn't look as welcoming as the first two did. Peeta, who stood by a tree, seemed to be unaware of them.

Katniss armed her bow with two arrows. Finnick gripped his trident. Link felt his hand go up to the hilt of his sword. "Peeta." Katniss tried to sound calm. "I need your help with something."

"Okay, just a minute. I think I've just about got it. Yes, there. Have you got the spile?"

"I do. But we've found something you'd better take a look at. Only move toward us quietly, so you don't startle it."

"Okay." Said Peeta casually. He turned towards them, and started walking. He tried to be quiet, but that was never a thing that he was real good at. He suddenly sensed them, and glanced upwards quickly.

The monkeys exploded. There fangs were bared. Hackles raised. Claws shooting out. It wasn't natural.

Link unsheathed his sword in a split second. _"Mutts!"_ He cried out.

Katniss shot down monkey after monkey. Peeta slashed at them with his knife. Finnick speared them with his trident. Link flew his sword at each one in sight.

Katniss ran out of arrows. But then she remembered that Peeta had his own sheath that he wasn't using. "Peeta!" She shouted. "Your arrows!"

Peeta began sliding the sheath off his body when it happened. A monkey lunged for Peeta's chest. Link and Finnick were too occupied to help. Katniss threw her knife at it, but it managed to dodge it. She ran for him. She had to take the hit herself. But she knew she couldn't make it on time.

6 does though. She ran in front of him, coming from nowhere. Making sure that Peeta would not be harmed. She screamed, Her hands raised as if to embrace the monkey.

The monkey's fangs sank into the chest of the morphling from District 6.

* * *

R&R plz!


	26. Chapter 25

Continue. I've gotten a LOT done over the weekend. :)

* * *

Peeta dropped the sheath, and stabbed the monkey in the back with knife over and over again until it released it's jaw. He kicked it away. Katniss grabbed his arrows. Link and Finnick stood at her back.

"Come on, then! Come on!" Peeta shouted. But the monkeys were withdrawing. The Gamemakers telling them that it was enough.

"Get her." Said Katniss. "We'll cover you."

Peeta gently lifted the morphling and carried her to the beach while Katniss, Link, and Finnick kept their weapons at the ready. But the monkeys were gone. Peeta laid the morphling on the sand. Katniss cut away the material at her chest, revealing four puncture marks where the monkey's teeth hit her.

She lied on the sand, gasping. Her skin was a sagging, sickly green. She twitched on the ground. Katniss grasped her hand. Link kneeled by her as well, pulling out his ocarina. He played a slow, sweet song. One that he hoped the morphling would want to die hearing, since there was nothing better they could do for her. The morphling's breath calmed slightly at the sound of the music.

"I'll watch the trees." Finnick said dully. He walked away.

Peeta stroked the morphling's hair. "With my paint box at home, I can make every color imaginable." He said, Link still playing his ocarina softly in the back. "Pink." Peeta continued. "As pale as a baby's skin. Green like spring grass. Blue that shimmers on ice like water."

The morphling looked him in the eye, hanging onto every word.

"One time, I spent three days mixing paint until I found the right shade for sunlight on white fur. You see, I kept thinking it was yellow, but it was much more than that. Layers of all sorts of color. One by one."

The morphling's breathing slowed. Her free hand drabbled in the blood on her chest, making the tiny swirling motions she so loved to paint with.

"I haven't figured out a rainbow yet. They come so quickly and leave so soon. I never have enough time to capture them. Just a bit of blue here or purple there. And then they fade away again. Back into the air." Said Peeta. Link continued to play his ocarina.

The morphling lifted a trembling hand and painted what might have been a flower on Peeta's cheek.

"Thank you." He whispered. "That looks beautiful.

The morphling grinned for a moment. She made a small squeaking sound. Her hand fell to her chest, and the canon fired. She let go of Katniss's hand. Link stopped playing.

Peeta took the morphling out to the water. She floated towards the Cornucopia for a bit, but then the hovercraft came, and pulled her out with a four-pronged claw that carried her out into the night. Then she was gone.

Finnick returned with some bloody arrows. He handed them to Katniss. " thought you might want these. "

"Thanks." Katniss went to go wash them off in the water.

"Where did they go?" Asked Link.

"We don't know exactly. The vines shifted, and they were gone." Finnick replied. Link nodded as he stared at the jungle. Then he looked down at himself. The spots where the fog droplets had touched him have scabbed over. They went from hurting to itching. He began to scratch. So did Finnick and Peeta.

"Don't scratch." Said Katniss. "You'll only bring infection. Think it's safe to try for the water again?"

They made their way back to the tree that Peeta had chosen earlier. Peeta tapped the tree while the others stood on guard. They drank the water, and let it pour over their itching bodies.

It was still night, but dawn couldn't be that far away. "Why don't you three get some rest?" Said Katniss. "I'll watch for a while."

"No, Katniss, I'd rather." Said Finnick. His eyes were teary. _Right._ Thought Link. _Mags's death is still fresh in our heads._

Katniss seemed to realize this as well. "All right, Finnick, thanks." She lied down between Link and Peeta. Peeta drifted off at once. Katniss took a few minutes to fall asleep. Link took a bit longer, but not before watching Finnick silently cry by himself a short distance away. Link pitied him. Before he knew it, he was asleep as well.

* * *

Link woke before Katniss and Peeta. A grass mat was suspended on branches above them to prevent sunlight from getting in their eyes. Two grass bowls laid out. One filled with shellfish, the other with water. Finnick was just returning from the jungle with another bowl of water. His eyes were still puffy, but Link pretended not to notice.

"Morning." He told Finnick when he arrived with the water. Finnick set the bowl down.

"Morning." Said Finnick. Link nodded at the bowls.

"Good job." Finnick just nodded. He reached for a shellfish, and ripped a chunk from it after cracking it with a rock. He popped it into his mouth. Link took a gulp of water, and also grabbed a shellfish. He began to eat it.

Katniss woke up to see Link and Finnick sitting down, eating. "They're better fresh." Finnick told her. He popped another chunk in his mouth. Katniss reached for a shellfish, stopping at the sight of her skin, which was caked with blood. She had been scratching herself in her sleep.

"You know," said Link, "if you scratch you'll bring on infection."

"That's what I've heard." Said Katniss. She went to wash off the blood in the water. She came back, stomping. She faced the sky.

"Hey Haymitch!" She snapped. "If you're not too drunk, we could use a little something for our skin."

It was almost funny how quickly a parachute appeared above her. It landed squarely in her palm. A tube. "About time." Said Katniss. Link laughed from behind her. She turned to find him standing close, grinning.

"What?" Asked Katniss. Link shook his head, still smiling.

"I like your laugh." Said Finnick from even further away.

"Oh, shut up." Link turned to face him. Finnick also smiled.

"You changed overnight." Finnick noted. Link shrugged.

"I tend to turn on and off." Link told him. He and Katniss walked over to where Finnick sat, Katniss still holding the parachute. They plunked down on the sand. Katniss screwed off the top of the tube. Inside was a thick dark ointment with a pungent smell, a combination of tar and pine needles. Katniss wrinkled her nose as she squeezed a glob of it onto her palm and began to massage it into her leg. It must have felt good, because Link heard her sigh in pleasure. When she was done, she tossed it to Link. Link's reaction was basically the same. His skin was stained a ghastly gray-green. He passed it to Finnick, who eyed the medicine doubtfully.

"It's like you're decomposing." Said Finnick. But he gave in, and began treating his own skin. The combination on the scabs and ointment looked hideous. Link and Katniss chuckled at his distress.

"Poor Finnick. Is this the first time in your life you haven't looked pretty?" Asked Katniss.

"It must be. The sensation's completely new. How have you managed it all these years?"

"Just avoid mirrors, you'll forget about it." Said Link.

"Not if I keep looking at you."

Link chuckled as he pulled off his shirt, and began adding the ointment to the front of his torso. Finnick stared at his scar.

"I saw that scar before the interviews." Said Finnick. "I never got to ask you about it." Link looked down at his bare chest.

"It was after I was crowned victor. A wolf attacked two women, and killed one of them. I managed to fight it off, getting clawed in the chest while doing so. I think my stylist wanted to turn me into that wolf the night of the interview, so he did. The audience was too racked up for me to actually do my interview though."

"You really are like a wolf." Said Katniss. Link shook his head. "Here." She got up. "I'll rub the medicine into your back for you."

"Thanks." Said Link. Katniss took a glob of the stuff, and rubbed it on his back. "Want me to do you, Finnick?" Finnick shrugged.

"I guess, 'cause I look so ugly already." Link rolled his eyes. They took turns rubbing the stuff on each other's backs.

"I'm going to wake Peeta." Said Katniss.

"No, wait." Said Finnick. "Let's do it together. Put out faces right in front of his." Katniss agreed, knowing there wasn't much time for fun anymore. Link decided to watch.

"Peeta. Peeta, wake up." Said Katniss in a soft, singsong voice. His eyes fluttered open.

"Aa!" He cried out. Finnick, Katniss, and Link all fell on the sand, laughing their heads off. Peeta tried to maintain a disdainful expression. They all cracked up again.

Another parachute floated down with a fresh loaf of bread from Finnick's own district. Finnick studied it, and finally spoke. "This will go well with the shellfish."

While Katniss helped Peeta with the ointment, Finnick and Link cleaned the shellfish. They all gathered around to eat the small meal.

Suddenly, a scream erupted in the distance. Across from them, a wedge of the jungle began to vibrate. An enormous wave crested high on the hill. It practically drowned the trees. It hit the existing seawater so hard, that even though they were as far away from the sea as they could get, but still on the beach, the water bubbled up to their knees, and carried their possessions with it when it fell. They managed to grab everything before they were all carried into the sea.

A cannon fired. The hovercraft appeared over the arena, and plucked a body from where the wave started.

The water calmed down slowly, and they settled their stuff back on the wet sand. But then, Link caught sight of three figures, about two spokes away, stumbling onto the beach.

They were a solid brick-red color. One was being dragged off by the second, and the third wandered in random loops.

"Who is that?" Link asked aloud. "Or what? Muttations?" His hand went up the the hilt of his sword. Katniss drew her bowstring.

The figure that was being dragged collapsed on the beach. The dragger stomped in frustration, and pushed the one making loops onto the ground

To Finnick, this was a good sign. "Johanna!" He called.

"Finnick!" Link heard Johanna's voice reply. Finnick ran over. Link, Peeta, and Katniss looked at each other.

"What now?" Asked Katniss.

"We can't really leave Finnick" Peeta answered.

"Guess not. Come on then." Said Katniss grouchily. It was clear that she didn't want Johanna on her side. They went, and met back up with Finnick. The other two figures were now recognizable, but confusion settled in. Johanna hated the District 3 tributes, yet here they were. Beetee laid on the sand, and Wiress had gotten back up, and resumed doing her random loops.

"Nuts and Volts?" Said Peeta. "I've got to hear how this happened."

They listened in to Johanna's conversation with Finnick. "We thought it was rain, you know, because of the lightning, and we were all so thirsty. But when it started coming, it turned out to be blood. Thick, hot blood. You couldn't see, you couldn't speak without getting a mouthful. We just staggered around, trying to get out of it. That's when Blight hit the force field.

"I'm sorry, Johanna." Said Finnick. Blight was Joanna's male counterpart from District 7.

"Yeah, well, he wasn't much, but he was from home." She said. "And he left me alone with these two." She nudged Beetee with her foot. "He got a knife in the back at the Cornucopia. And her-"

Everyone turned towards Wiress, who was circling around, coated in dry blood, and murmuring repeatedly, "Tick, tock. Tick, tock."

"Yeah, we know. Tick tock. Nuts is in shock." Said Johanna. Wiress circled over, and ran into her. Johanna harshly shoved her over. "Just stay down, will you?"

"Lay off her." Snapped Katniss.

Johanna narrowed her eyes at her. "Lay off her?" She stepped forward and slapped Katniss, hard. Link gasped slightly, and walked over to her. Peeta did the same, cupping her cheek. Link laid a hand on Katniss's shoulder, and squeezed it, glaring at Johanna. "Who do you think got them out of that bleeding jungle for you? You-" before Johanna could finish, Finnick tossed her over his shoulder, carried her out to the water, and began dunking her reapeatedly. She screamed some really insulting things at Katniss between dunks.

"What did she mean? She got them for me?" Katniss asked Link and Peeta.

"I don't know. You did want them originally." Replied Peeta.

"Yeah, I did. Originally. But I won't have them long unless we do something."

Peeta picked Beetee up in his arms, and Katniss took Wiress by the hand, leading them to their little beach camp.

"You guys clean Beetee, I'll take care of Wiress." Link told them.

"Thanks, Link." Said Katniss. Link nodded, and led Wiress to the shallows while the others cleaned Beetee.

Link stripped Wiress of her bloody jumpsuit. He discovered that her undergarments were also bloody. He didn't want to strip the woman naked, but there seemed to be no choice. He went to grab some moss from the jungle to use as a rag. She didn't resist as Link worked the rest of her clothes off. Her eyes were dilated in fear, though. She responded to nothing, except to say with ever-increasing urgency, "tick, tock." She seemed to be trying to tell Link something, but he couldn't understand.

He washed out her jumpsuit until there was hardly any blood left on it, and helped Wiress back into it. He fastened on her belt as well.

Link took a look at Beetee. He laid on his stomach on one of Finnick's grass mats, naked. Some moss was tied to his back, kind of like a bandage. He approached Katniss, who was washing out Beetee's jumpsuit.

"How's Wiress?" She asked, pausing her work to look up at him.

"Tick, tock. Tick, tock." Link replied sitting down next to her. "I pretty sure she's trying to tell us something, but Beetee isn't here to translate for us. What do I do with Wiress's undergarments?" He held them up.

"Pin them over there." Katniss nodded towards Beetee's underclothes, which were under a rock by the water, soaking. Link obeyed.

By the time Katniss finished cleaning Beetee's jumpsuit, Finnick and a now clean Johanna joined them. The tributes began to eat, while Finnick told them the fog and monkey story, leaving out the most important part.

Everybody offered to guard while the others rested, but in the end, it was Katniss and Johanna who had to stay up. They sat in silence until everyone was asleep. Well, until they thought everyone was asleep. Link was listening to their conversation.

"How'd you lose Mags?" He heard Johanna ask.

"In the fog. Finnick said he couldn't take them both. She kissed him and walked straight into the poison."

"She was Finnick's mentor, you know."

"No, I didn't.

"... She was half his family." Said Johanna.

Katniss waited. "So what were you doing with Nuts and Volts?"

"I told you-I got them for you. Haymitch said if we were to be allies I had to bring them to you. That's what you told him, right?"

Katniss nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"I hope so." Johanna glared at her for a bit, then looked back at the sea. "Another thing. Don't push on Link too hard."

Link's eyebrows went up when he heard this.

"What?" Asked Katniss.

"You really owe Link." Johanna told her. "He saved your life once already. He risked his life for you and Peeta. You both owe him your lives. I would assume he's making sure that you guys don't get hurt this time, either. He's still risking his life for you two."

Katniss bowed her head. "I told him he didn't have to. I told him over the phone. But he wouldn't accept it."

Link wanted to say something. That he would still continue risking his life for them. But he decided against it, and continued to listen.

"There's people out there he loves too." Continued Johanna. "And you're taking them away from him. You're taking him away from Zelda to save yourself and Peeta. Do you know how that must feel to him?"

 _Shut up, Johanna!_ Link wanted to shout from where he lay. _I brought this upon myself! I knew the consequences! Please... Just stop talking._

Katniss buried her face in her arms. "I'm sorry Link..." She whispered. "But I don't think I can let you go now..." Johanna glared at her again.

"Tick, tock." Came a voice from behind them.

"Oh, goody, she's back. Okay, I'm going to sleep. You and Nuts can guard together." Johanna went and flung herself between Link and Finnick. When Katniss's eyes settled back on the ocean, Link turned his body so he could have Johanna. He glared at her. Joanna's eyebrows raised in surprise, but she remained silent. Link shook his head, and moved back to his original position. He fell into a restless sleep.

Katniss got Wiress to lie down in front of her, stroking her arm to soothe her. She drifted off, occasionally sighing out her phrase, "tick, tock."

Katniss nodded. "Tick, tock. It's time for bed. Tick, tock. Go to sleep."

The sun rose to its highest point. _It must be noon._ Thought Katniss. A lightning bolt struck a large tree. Huh. Last night, while everyone else was asleep, lightning struck that same tree. Somebody must have triggered the attack. Katniss watched the lightning for a while. She remembered. Last night. Again, while everybody was asleep, there were twelve loud bongs. Right after that, the lightning began.

"Tick, tock." said Wiress.

Twelve bongs last night. Like it was midnight. Then lightning. Sun overhead now. Like it's noon. And lightning.

Katniss stood slowly and surveyed the area. The lightning began there. Then in the next pie wedge over came the blood rain with Johanna. In the third section, right after that, was the poisonous fog. As soon as the fog was sucked away, the monkeys began to gather in the fourth. Katniss's head snapped to the side. A couple hours ago, at ten, a giant wave came out of the second section to the left of where the lightning struck now. At noon. At midnight. At noon.

"Tick, tock." Said Wiress in her sleep. Her words suddenly made sense.

"Oh," said Katniss under her breath. "Tick, tock." Her eyes swept around. "Tick, tock, the arena's a clock."

* * *

The arena's a clock.

Katniss said so.

your augment is invalid.

R&R plz!


	27. Chapter 26

IDK WHAT TO SAY

plz continue.

* * *

A clock made perfect sense. Each hour began a new horror set of by the Gamemakers. The first four hours: lightning, blood rain, fog, then monkeys. And at ten, the wave. The other seven hours were unknown to Katniss, but she knew Wiress was right.

The blood rain was falling currently. The next hour, the fog would begin. They were way too close to fog for Katniss's liking. She had to wake the others, tell them to move.

Link was shaken awake. "Get up." Came a feminine voice. Katniss's.

"W-what?" Link yawned slightly as Katniss shook Peeta, Finnick, and Johanna.

"Get up." She said again. "We have to move." She explained to them what she recently figured out. The arena being an enormous clock. About Wiress's tick, tocking. Link was convinced immediately so were the others, except Joanna, who seemed to hate everything Katniss suggested. But even she believed it was better to be safe than sorry.

Katniss and Link approached Wiress who still slept, while the others collected their possessions, and fitted Beetee back into his jumpsuit. Katniss roused Wiress.

"Tick, tock!" She cried in a panicked voice.

"Yes, tick, tock, the arena's a clock." Katniss told her. "It's a clock, Wiress, you were right. You were right."

Relief flooded her face. At last somebody understood her. "Midnight." She said.

"It starts at midnight." Katniss confirmed.

Wiress nodded at the blood rain. "One-thirty." She said.

"Exactly." Said Link. "And at two, a terrible poisonous fog begins there." Link pointed at the near jungle. "So we have to move somewhere safe now." She smiled and stood. She drank about a quart of the water, and gnawed on a piece of bread.

Link went to lift Beetee, who still couldn't walk on his own, but he objected. "Wire." Beetee said.

"Don't worry, Wiress is coming too." Link told him.

Beetee spoke again. "Wire." he insisted.

"Oh, I know what he wants." Said Johanna impatiently. She crossed the beach and picked up a cylinder that was coated in blood. "This worthless thing. It's some kind of wire or something. That's how he got cut. Running up to the Cornucopia to get this. I don't know what kind of weapon it's supposed to be. I guess you could pull off a piece and use it as a garotte or something. But really, could you imagine Beetee garroting somebody?"

"He won his games with wire. Setting up that electrical trap." Said Peeta. "It's the best weapon he could have."

"Seems like you'd have figured that out by now." Katniss spoke to Johanna. "Since you nicknamed I'm Volts and all."

Johanna narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, that was really stupid of me, wasn't it? I guess I must have been distracted by keeping your little friends alive. While you were... What again? Getting Mags killed off?"

Link watched as Katniss gripped the handle of her knife.

"Go ahead. Try it. I don't care if you are knocked up. I'll rip your throat out."

"Hey." Link called to the two. "Cool it, both of you. Or we won't get anything done." Johanna turned her narrowed eyes toward him.

"Yeah. Whatever you say." She said sarcastically. Link rolled his eyes.

Finnick took the coil, and set it on Beetee's chest. "There's your wire, Volts. Watch where you plug it."

Link picked up the now unresisting Beetee. "Where to?" He asked.

"I'd like to go to the Cornucopia and watch. Just to make sure we are right about the clock." Said Finnick. Everyone agreed.

They all walked down the nearest sand strip, approaching the Cornucopia with care, knowing that it would be a very good hiding place for the Careers. The area was abandoned.

Link laid Beetee in the bit of shade that the Cornucopia provided. Beetee called out to Wiress, and handed her his wire coil. "Clean it, will you?"

Wiress nodded, and scampered down by the water, dunking the coil and singing a song that Link didn't recognize. Something about a mouse running up a clock. It must have been for children, but it seemed to make her happy.

"Oh, not the song again." Johanna rolled her eyes. "That went on for hours before she started tick, tocking."

Wiress suddenly stood and pointed at the jungle. "Two." She said. Sure enough, the fog was starting to leak out of the jungle. "Yes, look, Wiress is right. It's two o'clock, and the fog has started." Said Katniss.

"Like clockwork." Said Peeta. "You were very smart to figure that out, Wiress."

Wiress smiled, and went back to dunking the coil. "Oh, she's more than smart." Said Beetee, coming back to life. "She's intuitive. She can sense things before anyone else. Link a canary in one of your coal mines." He spoke to Katniss.

"What's that?" Asked Finnick.

"It's a bird that we take down into the mines to warn us if there's bad air." Answered Katniss.

"What's it do, die?" Asked Johanna.

"It stops singing first. That's when you should get out. But if the air's too bad, it dies, yes. And so do you."

The pile of weapons still remained at the mouth of the Cornucopia. Katniss replenished her arrows. Finnick collected some more tridents. Link simply compared his knife to the others, trying to find the sharpest one. Johanna found some lethal looking axes. She threw them so hard that the blade was buried deep in the surface of the golden horn.

Katniss and Link approached Peeta, who was drawing something on a large, smooth leaf with the tip of his knife. It was a map of the arena. "Look at where the Cornucopia points." He said. Link and maybe examined the horn.

"The tail points toward twelve o'clock." Said Katniss.

"Right, so this is the top of our clock." Peeta scratched the numbers one through twelve around his clock map. "Twelve to one is the lightning zone." He wrote _lightning_ in tiny print in the corresponding wedge, then worked clockwise, writing the words _blood, fog,_ and _monkeys._

"And ten to eleven is the wave." Said Link. Peeta added it. Finnick and Johanna joined them at this point.

"Did you notice anything unusual in the others?" Katniss asked Johanna and Beetee, but all they've seen is a lot of blood.

"I guess they could hold anything." Said Link.

"I'm going to mark the ones where we know the Gamemakers' weapon follows us out past the jungle, so we stay clear of those." Said Peeta, marking the fog and wave beaches with diagonal lines. "Well, it's a lot more than we knew this morning, anyway."

Everyone nodded. That's when Link noticed the silence. Their canary has stopped singing.

Katniss seemed to notice that as well, for at the same time Link unsheathed his sword, she drew back an arrow.

There was a dripping, wet Gloss letting Wiress's lifeless body slide to the ground, her neck cut across throat. Immediately. Katniss's arrow was released into his right temple, and she reloaded quickly. Joanna's ax blade buried itself in Cashmere's chest. Finnick knocked away a spear that Brutus had thrown at Peeta, taking Enobaria's knife in his thigh.

Brutus went and hid behind the golden Cornucopia. Enobaria pulled another knife from her belt, and lunged herself at Link.

 _Big mistake._ Thought Link. He had trained with a sword for years. He easily deflected her knife attacks, and successfully cut her on the arm with his blade. Enobaria suddenly his behind the Cornucopia. _Get back here you coward!_ Thought Link. He spotted her and Brutus fleeing down a sand strip.

Just then, the ground jerked beneath him, and Link was flung to his side. The Cornucopia's little island started spinning extremely fast. Link felt a force pulling towards the water, so naturally he hung on. He squeezed his eyes shut.

The island suddenly slammed to a stop.

Link coughed, feeling queasy. He sat up quickly. Which was a mistake, because intense dizziness swept over him, and he fell back on the sand.

He heard the others panting. They must have hung on as well. He heard one of them stand, and walk over to him. "Hey, bud." Came Finnick's voice. "You all right?" Link nodded from where he lay. "Can you stand?" Link shrugged. "Here." Finnick grabbed Link's hand, and helped him to his feet.

"Thanks." Said Link.

"No problem." Replied Finnick.

"Where's Volts?" Asked Johanna. Everyone else stood, and circled around the golden horn. Beetee was gone. Finnick soon discovered Beetee flailing around in the water about twenty yards away, and went to retrieve him.

Link looked at Katniss, who appeared to be searching frantically for something. She seemed to find it, because the next thing she did was jump into the water, and swim out.

 _Beetee's wire. Of course,_ thought Link. Wiress was holding the wire when her throat got slit. Her body must have been flung into the sea. Link watched Katniss as she swam up to Wiress, wrenched the wire from her fingers, whispered something that was like a goodbye to her, and swim back to the island.

Katniss placed the wire in Beetee's lap. He unraveled a piece, and Link saw for the first time what it was really like. A pale golden color and as fine a strand of hair.

Katniss looked at each of the other tributes' faces. They were all sober. Finnick, Johanna, and Beetee had all lost their district partners, and Link never had any to start with. Katniss crossed over, and wrapped her arms around Peeta. They all stood in silence for a few moments.

"Let's get off this stinking island." Johanna broke it.

Finnick stripped off his undershirt, and tied it around his bleeding leg. Beetee was pretty sure that he could walk, so Katniss helped him up. They decided to head to the beach at twelve o'clock. But then Peeta, Johanna, and Finnick started heading in different directions.

"Twelve o'clock, right?" Asked Peeta. "The tail points at twelve."

"Before they spun us." Said Finnick. "I was judging by the sun."

"The sun only tells you it's going on four, Finnick." Said Katniss.

"I think Katniss's point is, knowing the time doesn't mean you necessarily know where four is on the clock. You might have a general idea of the direction. Unless you consider that they might have shifted the outer ring of jungle as well.

Katniss nodded, but Link saw some confusion behind her eyes, like as if she was thinking, _no, Katniss's point was much more basic than that._ Link nearly chuckled. "Yes," said Katniss. "So any one of these paths could lead to twelve o'clock."

Everyone circled around the island. Johanna thinks to follow Enobaria's and Brutus's tracks, but they've been blown or washed away.

"I should have never mentioned the clock." Said Katniss bitterly. "Now they've taken that advantage away as well."

"Only temporarily." Said Beetee. "At ten, we'll see the wave again and be back on track."

"Yes, they can't redesign the whole arena." Said Peeta.

"It doesn't matter." Said Johanna impatiently. "You had to tell us or we never would have moved our camp in the first place, brainless. Come on, I need water. Anyone have a good gut feeling?"

They ended up picking a random path, and taking it, having no idea what number they were headed for. They peered into the jungle, trying to figure out what might be inside.

"Well, it must be monkey hour. And I don't see any of them at the moment." Said Peeta. "I'm going to try to tap a tree."

"No, it's my turn." Said Finnick.

"I'll at least watch your back."

"Katniss can do that." Said Johanna. "We need you to make another map. The other washed away." She yanked a large lead off of a tree and handed it to him.

Suspicion flickered upwards in Link. Were they trying to separate the two of them. "I'll go with Katniss and Finnick." He volunteered. No one objected.

He followed the two about fifteen yards into the jungle, where he found a good tree and started stabbing to make a hole. Link and Katniss stood guard, back to back while Finnick did this. Link kept his sharp eyes peeled for anything unusual.

"Katniss, got that spile?" Asked Finnick. Katniss cut the vine that held the spile to her belt. She held the spile out to him.

Link's eyes suddenly darted in the direction of a scream. Full of fear and pain. It appeared to belong to a young, thirteen-year-old girl.

Katniss's eyes suddenly grew as she dropped the spile. She turned and ran in the direction of the cries.

"Prim!" She cried. "Prim!"

* * *

R&R plz!


	28. Chapter 27

Link immediately ran after Katniss, Finnick soon on his tail.

 _Prim?_ Thought Link. _Isn't Prim Katniss's little sister? The one that Katniss volunteered to replace in the Games? What's she doing here? What are they doing to her?_

Prim screamed again. Vines cut into Link's face as he tried to follow Katniss, who was repeatedly calling out Prim's name.

They followed Katniss for a few minutes, before they crashed into a clearing where they found her wiping a bloody arrow clean. "Katniss?" Link hurried over to her.

"It's okay." She said, not very sincerely. "I'm okay. I thought I heard my sister, but-" another scream cut her off, only this one belonged to a young woman. Neither Link nor Katniss knew who it was, but Finnick was another story. The color vanished from his face in recognition, and his pupils actually dilated in fear. "Finnick, wait!" Katniss called, but he had already bolted off. "Finnick!" She dashed after him. Link followed.

"What's going on?" Link asked Katniss while sprinting after the tribute from District 4.

"It's not who he thinks it is." Replied Katniss. "It's just a jabberjay."

Link nodded in understanding, although he did feel surprised. He thought all of the jabberjays were extinct. Jabberjays were muttations that had the ability to mimic anything they hear.

They chased after Finnick for about a quarter-mile, most of it uphill. When they finally reached him, they found him circling a tree that must have been four feet in diameter. He looked up into the tree calling, "Annie! Annie!"

Katniss scaled a nearby tree, located the jabberjay, and took it out with an arrow. It fell right at Finnick's feet. He picked it up, slowly making the connection. Link watched as his face went from fearful to relieved. But then it went from relieved to terrified. Katniss slid down from her tree.

"It's all right, Finnick. It's just a jabberjay. They're playing a trick on us." Said Katniss. "It's not real. It's not your... Annie."

"No, it's not Annie. But the voice was hers. Jabberjays mimic what they hear. Where did they get those screams, Katniss?" Asked Finnick.

Now it was Katniss's turn to pale. "Oh, Finnick, you don't think they..."

"Yes, I do. That's exactly what I think."

Katniss sank to the ground. Link speed-walked over, caught her, and tried to pull her to her feet. He wanted to comfort her.

Another scream.

Link's head shot up. He tried to run, but Finnick managed to clamp his hands over Link's arms, holding him back. Link found it hard not to struggle.

"Zelda!" He cried. Zelda's screams rang out again. "Zelda!"

"No. It's not her." Finnick started pulling the thrashing Link downhill, towards the beach. "We're getting out of here!" But Zelda's voice was so full of pain that Link couldn't stop trying to reach her. "It's not her, Link! It's a mutt!" Finnick shouted at him. He half-dragged, half-carried Link until he was able to process what he said. He couldn't help Zelda because she wasn't actually here. It was pointless. Finally, Link gave up trying to fight Finnick, and began fleeing alongside him and Katniss.

This must have been a clock weapon. The monkeys must have gone home, and now the jabberjays have come out.

Link caught sight of Johanna and Peeta quickly. They still sat in the beach. _Surely they've heard the screams. Why haven't they come to help us?_ He thought.

They ran smack into the transparent wall, and bounced back onto the jungle floor. Katniss and Link hit it with their shoulders, while Finnick was sitting over there, his nose all bloody. Link quickly learned why Peeta, Beetee, and Johanna hadn't ran after them. The wall was like the force field, only this one you could touch as much as you wanted. It couldn't be broken by Peeta's knife, or even Joanna's ax. Link knew that he would have to stay in the jabberjay wedge until the hour passed.

Peeta pressed his hands against the surface of the wall. Katniss lined her own hands with them. Peeta tried speaking to Katniss, but nobody could hear on the other side of the wall. Katniss just stared at him. As did Link.

The birds began to arrive one by one. They perched on the surrounding branches. The screams began spilling out of their mouths. Link immediately curled up on the jungle floor, laying on his side, eyes squeezed shut, covering his pointed ears. It was pointless. He could still hear the agonized screams of Zelda, Rusl, Uli, Colin, everyone he loved. Everyone he cared for...

He knew it was over when Peeta lay a soft hand on his shoulder. Link managed to release his ears, but the rest of his body was still clamped in that curled-up position. He couldn't move.

He heard Peeta sit right next to him. He tried to comfort him and Katniss, who Peeta had picked up, and set on his lap. She wasn't doing much better than Link. Peeta spoke soothing words, and kept his hand on top of Link. At last, Link released the iron grip on his body. He lied on his back, and breathed heavily. His breath shook. He began to tremble.

Link looked up at Katniss. She also relaxed her body, and began to tremble.

"It's all right, Katniss." He whispered.

"You didn't hear them." Katniss replied.

"I heard Prim. Right in the beginning. But it wasn't her. It was a jabberjay."

"It was her. Somewhere. The jabberjay just recorded it."

"No, that's what they want you to think. The same way I wondered if Glimmer's eyes were in the mutt last year. But they weren't Glimmer's eyes. And that wasn't Prim's voice. Or if it was, they took it from an interview or something and distorted the sound. Made it say whatever she was saying."

"No, they were torturing her. She's probably dead."

"Katniss, Prim isn't dead. How could they kill Prim? We're almost down to the final eight of us. And what happens then?"

"Seven more of us die."

"No, back home. What happens when they reach the final eight tributes in the Games?"

Katniss paused. "At the final eight? They interview your family and friends back home."

"That's right. They interview your family and friends. And can they do that if they've killed them all?"

"... No?" Katniss sounded unsure.

"No. That's how we know Prim's alive. She'll be the first one they interview, won't she?"

Katniss said nothing.

"First Prim. Then your mother. Gale. Mage. It was a trick, Katniss. A horrible one. But we're the only ones who can be hurt by it. We're the ones in the Games. Not them."

"You really believe that?"

"I really do."

Katniss turned to Link, who still lied on the ground, although his shaking had ceased. "Do you believe it, Link?" Link thought about it, his eyes facing a sky, then nodded. "Finnick?"

"I could be true. I don't know." Finnick said. "Could they do that, Beetee? Take someone's voice and make it..."

"Oh, yes. It's not even all that difficult. Our children learn a similar technique in school."

"Of course Peeta's right. The whole country adores Katniss's little sister. If they really killed her like this, they'd probably have an uprising on their hands." Said Johanna flatly. "Don't want that, do we?" She threw her head back and shouted, "Whole country in rebellion? Wouldn't want anything like that!"

Link's eyebrows rose at her words. You never, ever say something like that in the Games.

"I'm getting water." Said Johanna. Katniss caught her hand.

"Don't go in there." She said. "The birds-"

"They can't hurt me. I'm not like the rest of you. There's no one left I love." Johanna unalterably impatiently shook her hand out of Katniss's grip.

Link hadn't moved from his place on the ground. "Hey, man." Said Peeta, leaning over him. "How are you?"

Link waited a few seconds before answering. "Zelda..." He said softly. Peeta smiled sadly.

"Zelda is fine, Link. Just relax." Link shut his eyes, and listened to his surroundings.

"Who did they use against Finnick?" Link heard Peeta ask Katniss.

"Somebody named Annie." Came the reply.

"Must be Annie Cresta."

"Who?"

"Annie Cresta. The girl Mags volunteered for. She about five years ago."

"I don't remember much of those Games much. Was that the earthquake year?"

"Yeah. Annie's the one who went mad when her district partner got beheaded. Ran off by herself and hid. But an earthquake broke a dam and flooded the arena. She won because she was the best swimmer."

"Did she get better after? I mean, her mind?"

"I don't know. I don't remember even seeing her at the Games again. She didn't look to stable during the reaping this year."

A cannon blast brought everybody together on the beach. Link sat up and watched a hovercraft dip down several times in the six o'clock zone. The person's body must have been torn to pieces.

Peeta grabbed his new map, and added a _JJ_ for jabberjays in the four to five o'clock section, and then just simply writing _beast_ in the area where they saw a hovercraft pick up pieces of body.

Finnick weaved another water basket and a net. Katniss cleaned the fish he caught. They were about to eat their meal of raw fish when the anthem began. Then the faces.

Cashmere, Gloss, Wiress, Mags, the woman from District 5, the morphing who sacrificed herself for Peeta, Blight, and the man from 10. Eight dead.

"They're really burning through us." remarked Johanna.

"Who's left? Besides the six of us and District Two?" Asked Finnick.

"Chaff." Said Peeta without thinking.

A parachute came down with a pile of bite-sized square shaped rolls. "These are from your district, right Beetee?" Asked Peeta.

"Yes, how many are there?" Said Beetee. Finnick counted.

"Twenty four."

"An even two dozen then?" Said Beetee.

"Twenty four on the nose." Confirmed Finnick. They divided amongst themselves, each person getting four rolls.

They all waited until the ten o'clock wave flooded the beach, then waited for the water to recede, then made camp. There was an unpleasant chorus of clicking, probably from some evil type of insect, coming from the eleven-to-twelve-o'clock section.

Peeta and Katniss volunteered to take first watch. Johanna and Beetee went out like a light, but Link's and Finnick's sleep were both restless. Every now and then they would murmur names. Finnick saying, "Annie." Link saying, "Zelda."

Katniss and Peeta spent some time alone on the beach, when the lightning storm began. Finnick shot awake with a sharp cry, his fingers digging into the sand. Link did the same beside him. "Zelda!" He cried. His breath shook again. He looked beside him to see Finnick. Link relaxed slightly, remembering that Zelda was safe at home. Finnick looked at Link, and did the same thing.

"I can't sleep anymore." Finnick told Peeta and Katniss. "One of you should rest."

"No," said Link. "Both of you should. I'll guard with him." Neither Peeta nor Katniss objected. They lied down by the others. Finnick and Link sat back to back, Link looking at the jungle, Finnick facing the water.

They remained silent for a while, until Link decided to speak. "You love Annie?" His voice was soft. Finnick nodded.

"And you Zelda?"

"Very much." More silence. "What I wouldn't give to kiss her again." Link sighed. The lightning stopped, and the blood began to rain in one o'clock. Link watched it for a minute, then turned back to his own jungle.

"I miss Annie so much." Said Finnick behind him. Link nodded in understanding. "Who else did they use against you in there?"

"My father and mother figures, and their son."

"Their names?"

"Colin is their son. The others are Rusl and Uli."

Silence fell over them again.

Finnick suddenly heard a beautiful melody cut through it. He recognized the tune quickly, and slowly began to sing along.

 _"Are you, are you,_

 _coming to the tree?_

 _Where they strung up a man,_

 _they say who murdered three?_

 _Strange things did happen here,_

 _no stranger would it be,_

 _if we met, at mid-_

 _night in the hanging tree."_

Link continued playing his ocarina from behind Finnick. Finnick sang along some more. When the song was finished, they sat in silence once more.

* * *

R&R plz!


	29. Chapter 28

Morning arrived. The third day of the Quarter Quell has begun.

Everybody was already up and watching the descent of a silver parachute to the beach. Another twenty four rolls from District 3. They each took their share, and ate it.

When they were finished, Katniss spoke to Peeta. "Come on. I'll teach you how to swim." She turned her eyes towards Link, who was just finishing his last to. Katniss caught Link's eye, and signaled for him to follow. Link glanced back at the others, then stood and followed Katniss and Peeta to the sea.

Katniss wasn't actually teaching Peeta how to swim. Link realized that quickly. She wanted to tell something to the three of them, and to the three of them only. Johanna kept a careful eye on them, but eventually lost interest, and went to go take a nap. Beetee was playing with his wire, and Finnick was weaving a new net.

Before Katniss told them the important stuff, she realized that her scabs from the fog were peeling away with the sand and water. She showed Link and Peeta how to rub the scabs off, revealing fresh, new skin underneath.

While they were scrubbing themselves, Katniss spoke. "Look, the pool is down to nine. I think it's time we took off." She said under her voice.

Peeta and Link nodded. Peeta was considering something else too. "Tell you what." He said. "Let's stick around until Brutus and Enobaria are dead. I think Beetee's trying to put together some kind of trap for them now. Then, I promise, we'll go."

"All right." Said Katniss. "We'll stay until the Careers are dead. But that's the end of it." She turned and waved to Finnick. "Hey, Finnick, come on in! We figured out how to make you pretty again!"

The four of them scored all the scabs from their bodies, helping with each other's backs, and come out as pink as the sky. They applied another round of medicine because the skin seemed too delicate for the sunlight. It didn't look half as bad on smooth skin, and would be good camouflage. In the jungle.

Beetee called them over. He had indeed come up with a plan. "I think we can all agree that our next job is to kill Brutus and Enobaria. I doubt they'll attack us openly again, now that they're so outnumbered. We could track them down, I suppose, but it's dangerous, exhausting work."

"Do you think they've figured out about the clock?" Asked Link.

"If they haven't, they'll figure it out soon enough. Perhaps not as specifically as we have. But they must know that at least some of the zones are wired for attacks and that they are reoccurring in a circular fashion. Also, the fact that our last fight was cut off by Gamemaker intervention will not have gone unnoticed by them. We know it was an attempt to disorient is, but they must be asking themselves why it was done, and this, too, may lead them to the realization that the arena's a clock." Said Beetee. "So I think our best bet will be setting our own trap."

"Wait, let me get Johanna up." Said Finnick. "She'll be rabid if she thinks she missed something important."

"Or not." Link heard Katniss mutter under her breath.

When Johanna joined them, Beetee shooed them all back a bit so he can have room to work in the sand. He swiftly drew a circle and divided it into twelve wedges. "If you were Brutus and Enobaria, knowing what you do now about the jungle, where would you feel safest?"

"Where we are now. On the beach." Said Link. "It's the safest place."

"So why aren't they on the beach?" Asked Beetee.

"Because we're here." Said Johanna impatiently.

"Exactly. We're here, claiming the beach. Now where do you go?"

"I'd hide just at the edge of the jungle. So I could escape if an attack came. And so I could spy on us." Said Katniss.

"Also to eat." Finnick added. "The jungle's full of strange creatures and plants. But by watching us, I'd know the seafood's safe."

Beetee smiled. "Yes, good. You do see. Now here's what I propose: a twelve o'clock strike. What happens exactly and noon and midnight?"

"The lightning bolt hits the tree." Said Link.

"Yes. So what I'm suggesting is that after the bolt hits at noon, but before it hits at midnight, we run my wire from that tree all the way down into the saltwater, which it, of course, highly conductive. When the bolt strikes, the electricity will travel down the wire and into not only the water but also the surrounding beach, which will still be damp from the ten o'clock wave. Anyone in contact with those surfaces at that moment will be electrocuted." Said Beetee.

A long pause followed as everyone digested Beetee's words. Could it work?

"Will that wire really be able to conduct that much power, Beetee?" Asked Peeta. "It looks so fragile, like it would just burn up."

"Oh, it will. But not until the current has passed through it. It will act something like a fuse, in fact. Except the electricity will travel along it." Beetee replied.

"How do you know?" Asked Johanna, clearly not convinced.

Beetee sounded slightly surprised. "Because I invented it. It's not actually wire in a usual sense. Nor is the lightning real lightning nor the tree a real tree. You know trees better than any of us, Johanna. It would be destroyed by now, wouldn't it?"

"Yes." She said glumly.

"Don't worry about the wire-it will do just what I say." Beetee assured them.

"And where will we be when this happens?" Asked Finnick.

"Far enough up in the jungle to be safe."

"The Careers will be safe, too, then, unless they're in the vicinity of the water." Katniss pointed out.

"That's right."

"All the seafood will be cooked." Said Peeta.

"Probably more than cooked." Said Beetee. "We will most likely be eliminating that as a good source for good. But you found other edible things in the jungle, right, Katniss?"

"Yes." Came the reply. "Nuts and rats. And we have sponsors."

"Well, then. I don't see that as a problem." Said Beetee. "But as we are allies and this will require all our efforts, the decision of whether or not is up to you five."

Everyone thought about it for a bit. Finally, Link spoke. "Why not? If it fails, there's no harm done. If it works, there's a decent chance we'll kill them. And even if we don't and just kill the seafood, Brutus and Enobaria lose it as a for source too."

"I say we try it." Said Peeta. "Link is right."

Finnick turned to Johanna and raised his eyebrows. "All right." Said Johanna finally. "It's better than hunting them down in the jungle anyway. And I doubt they'll figure out our plan, since we can barely understand it ourselves."

Beetee wanted to inspect the tree before he rigged it. They broke camp, walked over to the beach that bordered the lightning section, and headed into the jungle. Link, Finnick, and Peeta took turns carrying Beetee up the slope, since he was still too weak to make it on his own.

As they neared the tree, Finnick suggested that Katniss took the lead. "Katniss can hear the forcefield."

"Hear it?" Asked Beetee.

"Only with the ear the Capitol reconstructed." Said Katniss. Beetee didn't buy it, but didn't question it either.

"Then by all means, let Katniss go first. Force fields are nothing to play around with." Beetee wiped the steam off his glasses.

When they reached the enormous tree, Katniss told them to wait while she checked the force field. She came back saying, "just stay below the lightning tree."

They divided duties. Link guarded Beetee while he examined the tree, Johanna tapped for water, Finnick weaved more baskets, Peeta collected nuts, and Katniss hunted nearby.

Katniss returned with three dead tree rats. She and Peeta began to roast them and the nuts that Peeta had collected. Beetee was still messing with the tree.

The clicking in eleven o'clock started. It was much louder than on the beach last night. Everyone listened intently.

"It's not mechanical." Said Beetee..

"I think they're insects." Said Link.

"Maybe beetles." Katniss nodded.

"Something with pincers." Finnick added.

The sound swelled.

"We should get out of her, anyway." Said Johanna. "There's less than an hour before the lightning states."

They moved to the blood-rain section, and ate lunch, waiting for the bolt. At Beetee's request, Katniss climbed up into a tree to watch. She reported her findings to Beetee, who seemed satisfied.

They took a circuitous route back to the ten o'clock beach, which was smooth from the wave. Beetee gave them the afternoon off while he worked with the wire. At first, they took turns having naps, but by late afternoon everyone was awake and restless. They gathered a feast of seafood, since it was probably their last chance of having it.

Johanna kept watch while Link, Peeta, Katniss, and Finnick cleaned and laid out the seafood. Peeta pried open an oyster. He laughed suddenly. "Hey, look at this!" He held up a perfect pearl about the size of a pea. "You know, if you put enough pressure on coal it turns to pearls." He said earnestly to Finnick and Link.

Link just looked confused while Finnick spoke. "No, it doesn't." Katniss cracked up.

Peeta rinsed off the pearl, and handed it to Katniss. "For you." Katniss studied it.

"Thanks." She closed her fist over it. She looked coolly into Peeta's eyes.

"The locket didn't work did it?" Asked Peeta. "Katniss?"

"It worked." Katniss replied.

"But not the way I wanted it to." Peeta turned his gaze away from Katniss. Link looked confused again. So did Finnick.

Just as they were about to eat, another parachute appeared with with a small pot of spicy red sauce, and yet another twenty four rolls from District 3. They divided them again.

They ate till they were full, and still had leftovers. They tossed the remaining food in the water.

They waited for night to fall.

* * *

R&R plz!


	30. Chapter 29

The anthem began, but no faces appeared in the sky that night. They began to cross to the twelve o'clock beach. They quietly hiked up to the lightning tree.

Beetee asked Finnick to assist him. Before he even attached any wire to the tree, he unrolled yards of the stuff, and wound it around a broken branch. Then he started on the tree. Beetee and Finnick passed the spool back and forth around the trunk.

The trunk was completed by the time they heard the wave begin. About ten thirty.

Beetee revealed the rest of his plan. Johanna and Katniss would unroll the coil through the jungle, and into the water. Then they would run for the jungle.

"I want to go with them as guard." Said Peeta.

"You're too slow." Said Beetee. "Besides, I'll need you on this end. Katniss will guard. There's no time to debate this. I'm sorry. If the girls are too get out of there alive, they need to move now." He handed the coil to Johanna.

"It's okay." Katniss told Peeta. "We'll just drop the coil and come straight back up."

"Not into the lightning zone." Beetee reminded her. "Head for the tree in the one-to-two-o'clock sector. If you find you're running out of time, move over one more. Don't even think about going back on the beach, though, until I assess the damage."

Katniss took Peeta's face in her hands. "Don't worry. I'll see you at midnight." She kissed him before he could object. She turned to Johanna. "Ready?"

"Why not?" Johanna shrugged. "You guard, I'll unwind. We can trade off later."

They headed down the slope.

Peeta sighed, and sat down by Link. "And now we wait." Link nodded in agreement.

* * *

About half an hour passed.

"Hey, Link." Called Finnick.

"Yeah?"

"Want me to challenge you?"

"To what?"

"I don't know... A wrestling match, maybe?"

Link chuckled. "Sure. I guess there's nothing better to do." He stood. "My kind of wrestling may be different though..."

"Aw, just try to pin me on the ground for three seconds. No rules, except that you can't bash me into a tree. Got it?"

Link nodded. He watched as Finnick got up on his feet, and tossed his shirt to the side. Link pulled off his own shirt, and did the same thing. Peeta and Beetee looked up at them to watch.

"I'm rooting for Link." Said Peeta, smiling.

"Then I've got Finnick." Said Beetee.

Link and Finnick took their positions, and began to circle each other slowly. "A different kind of wrestling?" Finnick asked. "What kind do you do?"

"Sumo." Said Link matter-of-factly."

"Sumo wrestling? Really?"

"You'd better believe it."

"... I'm already starting to have my doubts of winning."

Link smirked. They suddenly lunged at each other. They grabbed each other's shoulders, and began pushing with all their might. Finnick suddenly sidestepped, and let Link fall to the ground. Before Finnick could jump on top of him, though, Link rolled out of the way, so all Finnick got was a pile of dirt. Link took this as an opportunity to tackle him.

They wrestled for a good ten minutes, Peeta shouting words of encouragement to Link, Beetee using logic in telling Finnick what to do next.

Link had finally grabbed Finnick's shoulders again, and shoved him to the jungle floor. He managed to hold the struggling human down for three seconds. As soon as those three seconds were over, Link rose, panting. Finnick also breathed heavily on the ground.

"Wow." He finally spoke. "Didn't know you had all that in you."

"I'm often underestimated." Link told him. Finnick suddenly took his foot, and swung it at Link's legs, causing him to trip and fall. "Woah!" He cried out. Finnick sat up. "Cheater." Link muttered to him. Finnick chuckled as he stood, and helped Link up. "Thanks. That was fun." Finnick said nothing, and went to retrieve his shirt.

Link sighed, and pulled his own shirt back on. He sat back down with Peeta.

* * *

Another twenty minutes later, Link heard some rustling in the trees. He stood quickly, and grabbed his sword.

"Link?" Asked Peeta.

"Shh!" Replied Link. The other three stood as well. Beetee looked around.

"Peeta." He whispered. "Lend me your knife." Peeta handed it to him without question.

That was when Brutus and Enobaria crashed through the trees. Beetee fell on the ground, and started doing something with the wire. He appeared to be wrapping it around the knife that Peeta gave him.

Link immediately began fighting with Brutus. The cannon sounded, but Link didn't stop to wonder who died. He kept slashing at Brutus.

Peeta was unarmed, having given his knife to Beetee. He remained behind Link.

Brutus suddenly stabbed Link's shoulder. "Agh!" Link clutched the wound. Just before Brutus managed to finish Link off, though, Finnick suddenly blocked his attack with his trident.

"Run!" Beetee shouted at them. Link and Peeta ran off in one direction, while Finnick ran straight ahead. They didn't bother to stop him. They just kept on running. Brutus and Enobaria ran after them.

Link turned, and began fighting with them again. "Go!" He cried to Peeta. Peeta turned, and ran the opposite direction that they were running before. Link guessed it would be okay, since the District 2 tributes weren't by the tree anymore.

A sharp pain erupted through his body as Enobaria slashed him across his shoulder. He fell, and was unable to get back up. "He'll die right here." He heard Brutus tell Enobaria. "Let's go catch that other one." They ran after Peeta.

Link couldn't cry out. But he did manage to crawl after them. He had to reach Peeta. He had to. He kept crawling. Several minutes passed.

Another cannon sounded.

 _Oh please._ He pleaded. _Not Peeta. Not Katniss. One of them has to make it out of here alive. Please._ Keep crawling.

"Katniss!" He could hear Peeta's voice howling from a far distance away.

Link had nearly blacked out. He wouldn't be able to reach them.

He heard the lightning crackle.

 _I'm sorry..._

Everything went black.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed it. R&R plz!


	31. Chapter 30

I'm going to start this chapter with a summery of what happened to Katniss while Link and the others were waiting/fighting/running.

* * *

Katniss had gone back after Johanna attacked her.

While Johanna was passing the coil to Katniss to unravel, the wire from above springed down at them. Someone not far from them had cut the wire.

Just as Katniss had grabbed an arrow, Johanna used the heavy spool to smash Katniss on the side of her head. She cut into her left arm, telling her to stay down.

Katniss, after staying down for a bit, got up, and painfully made it back to the lightning tree. There, she found Beetee, wounded, and with a knife that had the wire wrapped around it in his hand.

Peeta, who ran back after Link told him to, called for Katniss. Katniss tried to draw Brutus and Enobaria away from him. But that's when she realized that they weren't the real enemies.

She took one of her arrows, wrapped the wire around it, and just as the lightning started, shot the force field. The electricity ran through the force field, and then the explosions began.

Katniss was retrieved by a hovercraft, and blacked out.

* * *

Katniss woke to find herself laying on a padded table. Some tubes were inserted in her left arm.

Katniss knew that the Capitol was going to punish her for destroying the arena. She would rather die.

Her limbs were stiff, but her right arm had gained a little motion. It felt like a club. She swung her arm until the tubes were ripped out. A beeping went off, and she blacked out again.

When she surfaced again, her hands were tied down to the table. The tubes were back in her arm. She lifted her head slightly. Two rows of beds were facing each other. Beetee laid in the bed in front of her with about ten different machines hooked up to him. _Just let us die!_ Katniss wanted to scream. Her head slammed back down on the table, and darkness took over her vision.

When she finally, truly woke up, her restraints were gone, and the tubes weren't in her arm anymore. Her arm was bandaged. She pushed herself to a sitting position.

She was alone except for Beetee, who still had his army of machines. Where were the others? Peeta, Finnick, Enobaria, and Link?

"Peeta..." Katniss whispered. She wanted to protect him. Keep the Capitol from harming him any further. She must find him. She must kill him before the Capitol could do anything to him. She slid off her table, and onto the floor. She found some syringes on a table near Beetee's bed. Perfect.

She paused for a moment, considering killing Beetee. But she didn't want to get caught before she could reach Peeta. And after Peeta, she was going to find Link next. Then she would come back, and finish off Beetee.

She was naked except for a thin nightgown, so she hid the syringe in her bandages.

Katniss krept down a narrow hallway to a metal door. She listened.

"Communications are down in Seven, Ten, and Twelve. But Eleven had control of transposition now, so there's at least a hope of them getting some food out." Came the voice of Plutarch Heavensbee, the head Gamemaker. A hoarse voice asked a question.

"No, I'm sorry. There's no way I can get you to Four. But I've given special orders for her revival if possible. It's the best I can do, Finnick."

Finnick? He spoke some more.

"Don't be stupid. That's the worst thing you could do. Get her killed for sure. As long as _you're_ alive, they'll keep _her_ alive for bait." Said Haymitch.

Haymitch! Katniss charged through the door. Haymitch, Plutarch, and a very beat-up Finnick sat around a table with an uneaten meal. The windows showed the tops of trees flying past. They were flying.

"Done knocking yourself out, sweetheart?" Haymitch asked, annoyed. He stepped up and caught her wrists. "So it's you and a syringe against the Capitol? See, this is why no one let's you make the plans." They stared at each other. "Drop it." He squeezed her wrist until she dropped the syringe. He settled Katniss into a chair next to Finnick.

Plutarch placed a bowl of broth and a roll in front of her, and slipped a spoon into her hand. "Eat." He said kindly.

Haymitch sat in front of her. "Katniss, I'm going to explain what happened. I don't want you asking any questions until I'm through. Do you understand?"

Katniss nodded numbly.

There was a plan to break Katniss, Peeta and Link out of the arena ever since the Quell was announced. The victor tributes from 3,4,6,7,8, and 11 had varying degrees of knowledge about it. Plutarch has been, for several years now, part of an undercover group that had a goal to overthrow the Capitol. He made sure that the wire was among the weapons. Beetee was in charge of blowing a hole in the force field. The bread they received in the arena was code for the time of the rescue. The district where the bread came from indicated the day. Three. The number of rolls the hour. Twenty four. The hovercraft that they were currently riding in belonged to District 13. Apparently, District 13 really did exist, and did work underground. They were on their way to District 13 right then. Meanwhile, a majority of the districts were in full-scale rebellion.

Haymitch stopped.

Katniss didn't like the fact that she wasn't let in on the plan. "You didn't tell me." She said.

"You, Peeta, and Link were not told. We couldn't risk it." Said Plutarch. "I was even worried you might mention my indiscretion with the watch during the Games." He pulled out his pocket watch and ran his thumb across the crystal. A mockingjay appeared on the surface for a brief second, then vanished. "Of course, when I showed you this, I was merely tipping you off about the arena. As a mentor. I thought it might be a first step toward gaining your trust. I never dreamed you'd be a tribute again."

"I still don't understand why Peeta, Link, and I weren't let in on the plan." Said Katniss.

"Because once the force field blew, you'd be the first ones they'd try to capture, and the less you knew, the better." Said Haymitch.

"The first ones? Why?" Asked Katniss.

"For the same reason the rest of us agreed to die to keep you alive." Said Finnick.

"No, Johanna tried to kill me." Said Katniss.

"Johanna knocked you out to cut the tracker from your arm and let Brutus and Enobaria away from you." Said Haymitch.

"What? I don't know what you're-"

"We had to save you because you're the mockingjay, Katniss." Said Plutarch. "While you live, the revolution lives."

The mockingjay. The one who survived despite the Capitol's plans. The symbol of rebellion.

"Peeta." Katniss whispered, her heart sinking."

"The others kept Peeta alive because of he died, we knew there'd be no keeping you in an alliance." Said Haymitch matter-of-factly. "And we couldn't risk leaving you unprotected. We kept Link alive for the same reasons. But not just that. His skills were recognized by Plutarch when he fought a robot with a sword blindfolded. He's a pretty powerful symbol of rebellion as well, for he is the descendant of the hero, who fought the Capitol during the Dark Days. The Capitol probably wants to kill him."

"Where is Peeta?" Katniss hissed at Haymitch.

"He was picked up by the Capitol along with Link, Johanna, and Enobaria." Haymitch finally dropped his gaze.

Katniss suddenly lunged across the table, and raked her fingernails across his face, causing blood to flow and damaging one eye. They began screaming terrible, terrible things at each other.

Finnick dragged Katniss out of the room. Other people helped him, and soon she was back on the table, her body restrained. She began slamming her head against the table in fury. A needle poked her arm, and her head hurt so badly that she stopped fighting. She simply wailed in a horrible, dying-animal way until her voice gave out.

People talked to her in soothing voices that never reached her. All she could think of was Peeta and Link lying on a similar table, while the Capitol tried to break them for information that they didn't even have.

"Katniss. Katniss, I'm sorry." Came Finnick's voice came from the bed next to her. "I wanted to go back for him, Link and Johanna, but I couldn't move."

Katniss didn't answer.

"It's better for Peeta than Johanna. They'll figure out he doesn't know anything pretty fast. And they won't kill him is that think they can use him against you. Same goes for Link."

"Like bait?" Katniss said to the ceiling. "Like how they'll use Annie for bait, Finnick?"

She could hear Finnick weeping. "I wish she was dead. I wish they were all dead and we were too. It would be best."

Katniss silently agreed. But would Peeta? Would Peeta and Link keep fighting? They're both so strong, and Peeta is such a good liar. Did they think that they could survive?

People came to talk to her. She blocked them all out. Until Gale came along.

"Gale." Katniss whispered.

"Hey Catnip." He pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. His arm was in a sling, and one side of his face has been recently burned. How was he even here? Something very bad happened in District 12.

"Prim?" Katniss gasped.

"She's alive. So is your mother. I got them out in time.

"They're not in District Twelve?"

"After the Games, they sent in planes. Dropped fire bombs. Well, you know what happened to the Hob."

"They're not in District Twelve?" Katniss asked again.

"Katniss." Gale said softly.

Katniss rose her arm as if to block his next words. She recognized the kind of voice he was using. Gale caught hand, and held on tightly.

"Don't." Said Katniss.

Gale still spoke, "Katniss, there is no District Twelve."

 **End of book two**

* * *

I hope you liked it. I'll see when I start book three.


	32. Chapter 31

Here is the beginning of the third and final book. I really do hope you enjoy.

* * *

The restraints were cold.

He lied on a hard table on his back. He couldn't move. The cuffs clasped his hands and feet to the surface. He didn't even bother to struggle, knowing it would be impossible to escape.

Whatever was captured by the Capitol, stays in the Capitol.

The room was dark, despite having white walls and a white floor. There were no windows visible. No doors visible either, though he knew that there had to be doors somewhere. How could they have gotten him into the room without one?

His shirt had been taken off while he was unconscious. His pants were the only thing that covered him from the waist down.

He didn't understand. The Capitol probably would have killed him long ago. What did they want from him? Information? He didn't have any of that. His support? He'd die before giving that to them. He found it more reasonable that they wanted information from him, which, again, he didn't have.

 _If that's the case, then I swear, I will never say a single word to the president._ He thought. _Not even a hello._

His thoughts wandered. He wondered if any of his friends had been captured as well. He hoped not. The Capitol would do who-knows-what to them. He didn't want to know. He hoped with all his might that his friends would be safe. Katniss. Peeta. Finnick. Beetee. Even Johanna. He didn't want any harm to come to them.

He shut his eyes.

His long ears picked up the quiet sound of a door sliding nearby. His eyes didn't open.

"Hello Link." Came the cold voice of the President of Panem himself. Link's eyes remained closed, and he didn't reply. "Oh, now that won't do." still no answer.

The president spoke some more. "I would have thought that you victors of the Hunger Games would give me respect." He didn't move. "Look at me." Nope.

President Snow suddenly touched Link's bare chest, right where his scar ended. Snow's fingers were so cold, that Link made a sharp gasp, like as if he had been stabbed with a pin. He felt Snow's fingers trace his scar upwards to just below his shoulder. When he took his hand off him, Link relaxed slightly. (Don't take that the wrong way. I'm not shipping them.)

"You know, wolves don't just wander into the districts. " said the President. Link didn't answer. He knew where Snow was going with this. A wolf attack gave him that scar. "You must have been in the forest." Snow continued. "Exactly where you shouldn't have been. And you killed it. You most likely used a weapon do that. Carrying your own weapon is illegal. That wolf should have killed you. You most certainly deserve it."

Link breathed in deeply, and exhaled slowly. He could feel sweat already forming on his brow.

"District Thirteen came to rescue you from the arena."

 _What?_ He thought. _Does_ _District Thirteen even exist?_

"They had planned to do that for quite a while, I assume. Everything they did appeared to have been planned." Said President Snow. "Some of their plans worked. They managed to get their hands on Katniss, Finnick, and Beetee."

 _Oh, good. They're safe. But what about Peeta…?_

"We picked up Peeta and Johanna." Snow answered Link's unasked question.

 _No!_ Link's head screamed. _No no no no!_

"You must have known that they were going to try to get you." Snow continued.

 _No. I didn't._

"If you knew that they were going to pick you and your friends up, then you must also know what they are planning to do next.

 _...uh oh..._

"I ask you. What is District Thirteen going to pull off next?"

 _I don't know! I don't have what you want! Let me go! Let us all go!_

"You have no choice but to tell me."

Link squeezed his eyes tighter. His breathing quickened.

"You want to do this the hard way?"

No reply.

"I'll take that as a yes." Said Snow softly. Link heard him turn away from the table, and face another person who had stood silently the entire time. "You know what to do." Link heard him tell the person.

The pain came so suddenly. Like strong electric waves crackling through his body at lightning speed. Link's eyes shot open. He struggled helplessly against his restraints, screaming at the top of his lungs. His body burned terribly.

The pain stopped as quickly as it came. Link fell back onto the table in exhaustion. His panting sounded heavy, and some quiet sobbing noises played along with it. He turned his eyes to his left without turning his head as well. He wished he hadn't. President Snow's eyes stared into his own, as cold as a snake's. But he dared not look away.

"District Thirteen is trying to overthrow the Capitol. I need to know their plans. I'll give you 'till tomorrow to think it over." Without another word, Snow and the torturer left the room, leaving Link to his thoughts.

Link really did think about it. Should he tell them that be had no information? No, that would be pointless. They'd think he was lying. Should he make something up? No. If District 13 really was planning on doing something, and the Capitol believed Link's lies, the Capitol and District 13 had a possibility of overlapping. He didn't want to risk it. He decided he just wouldn't tell them anything. No matter what they did to him.

* * *

Katniss wandered around the ruins of District 12.

It had been about a month since she has escaped from the arena, and fled to District 13. She had forced the district to let her tour her own blown up district. By herself.

Ash had settled everywhere. The bones of dead humans laid around, mostly on the road, where Katniss walked. She wandered over to the victor's village, which, for some reason, had not been destroyed. She walked into her house.

A hiss suddenly came from behind her. She whirled around. There stood the ugliest tomcat in the world. "Buttercup." Said Katniss. Buttercup was her younger sister's cat. It was amazing that he survived the bombing. Katniss and Buttercup hated each other.

Katniss squatted down and extended a hand. "Come here boy." Hah. Yeah right he's going to come. He blinked his yellow eyes. "Want to see Prim?" Katniss asked him. The girl's name got his attention. He gave a rusty meow, and approached her. She picked him up, stroked his fur, and stuffed him in a bag to take back with her to District 13.

She slung the bag over a chair, and grabbed her father's old leather jacket from the closet.

There was a smell that made her stop. An artificial smell. A disgusting, rosy smell.

There it was. Hidden among the vase of dried flowers, was a fresh, white rose.

She knew immediately who sent it to her.

President Snow.

Katniss began to gag. She left the house with the bag as if in a hurry.

She went to go check a house in the village that belonged to one of her very dear friends. She cautiously stepped through the front door. She had never entered this house before. Everything was tidy. Katniss wandered.

An office on the main floor had some shelves with some books lined up. One of them caught Katniss's eye. It looked old. Much older than everything else in the room. Katniss carefully took it off the shelf, and laid it on a nearby desk. She pulled up a chair, and sat, opening the book to some random page in the middle. She began to read.

 _August, 18, 2515_

 _All of this. I'm not going to be able to handle it much longer._

The words the neat handwriting had formed caught her interest quickly.

 _These Peacekeepers are being sent in nonstop. I have to keep protecting my people in Fourteen. Keep having to kill the Peacekeepers. As crazy as it may sound at the moment, I don't really want to kill them. They're no less human than I._

 _Who wrote this?_ thought Katniss. _The way this person wrote this journal…it sounds kind of like how Link would speak._ She continued reading.

 _One of these days I'm going to die. It could be today. It could be tomorrow. I don't know. I don't particularly want to know. But, I'm starting to think, these Peacekeepers probably keep coming in because of me. They're trying to stop me. It's my fault. It's all my fault that people keep dying. I have to draw the Peacekeepers away. I have to. More people will die if I don't. I'm so sorry everyone. I think I'm going to leave the district. Fight the Capitol in a place where nobody can get in the way. I'm probably going to fail. I'm not as strong as I probably think I am. I know I'm going to die, but I think it's worth it, knowing that my death can save so many lives._

 _Malon, if you come across this journal, I'm sorry. I never told you my plans because I knew you would find a way to stop me. I couldn't let that happen. Please, don't despair. I'm sure our unborn child will give you the joy you need while I'm gone. Please… Be safe._

 _I leave tomorrow. Good-bye everyone._

Katniss stared. Who on earth was this? What was it doing in Link's house? She remembered Link once telling her that he was the descendant of a hero of District 14 during the Dark Days. Could this be him? Katniss flipped a little further in the book, surprised to see that there was still a bit more writing. This was not written by the hero, but by a friend of his.

 _August, 20, 2515_

 _The hero, Link, is dead._

Katniss stopped. Link? Was that the hero's name? Then was the Link that she knew named after him?

 _I'm crying as I write this. Link was a dear friend of mine. He ran out of the district, almost every Peacekeeper on his tail. They were gone for about a day before they returned, carrying Link's dead body. I saw it with my own eyes. They also carried this journal, which I managed to snatch from them. I'm listening to them speak amongst the Peacekeepers who did not follow, telling them how Link, the hero, died. I'm going to record what I hear right now._

 _Link had wandered far before drawing his sword and turning against the Peacekeepers. He miraculously survived for quite a while, until a Peacekeeper shot him straight through the heart. My poor friend!_

 _..._

 _I'm writing this a few hours later. Link's wife, Malon, refuses to eat. She won't stop crying either, the poor woman. Without her husband to comfort her, I fear that she will never be quite the same again._

Katniss flipped back to a page that was before where she first started reading. It was back to the hero's point of view.

 _June, 19, 2515_

 _I found a helpless group of people a few days ago. They were being attacked by muttations. I couldn't just stand there. I had to do something. So I jumped in and saved them. It all happened so fast. I don't know how, but I managed to kill every mutt in sight. They all called me a hero after that. I told them that it was nothing. That I didn't deserve such praise. But they waved my protests aside, and kept calling me a hero. Finally, I gave up. But I could never be hero worthy. Ever._

Katniss flipped a few pages forward.

 _July, 14, 2515_

 _My adopted mother has been killed by muttations. I haven't written for a while because I've been mourning for her. I still am._

 _I'm sorry. I can't stand writing anymore at the moment._

Katniss silently shut the book, and placed it in her bag next to the cat. A yowl came from the bag in response.

"Katniss, we have to go now." Came Gale's voice through her head piece.

"Okay" Katniss replied.

She quickly searched the house for anything that may have been important to Link, found nothing, and left. She stepped outside.

She signalled the hovercraft, which materialized and dropped down a ladder. She climbed onto the ladder, and the current froze her in place until she was lifted on board.

Gale helped her from the ladder. "You all right?"

"Yeah." Katniss wiped the sweat off her face.

She remembered the rose, but decided not to tell Gale. It was a message for her only. One that said, _I can find you. I can reach you. Perhaps I am watching you now._

* * *

There you have it! I'll see when I can get the next chapter up. R&R plz!


	33. Chapter 32

Shoot.

Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot.

I forgot on the last chapter that Link lived in fourteen, not twelve. But I love that chapter. A lot. Despite my huge mistake, I think I'm going to keep it that way. Sorry if that bothers you, but I'm the author.

I'm sorry that I was unable to update in a while. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Katniss couldn't stop thinking about Capitol planes coming and shooting their hovercraft out of the sky.

Gale nodded at her bag, listening to the wines and yowels coming from it. "Now I see why you had to go back."

"If there was any chance of his recovery." Katniss dumped the bag onto a seat in response. A growl came from said bag. "Oh, shut up." She sank into the seat across from it.

Gale sat next to her. "Pretty bad down there?"

"Couldn't be much worse." Katniss looked into his eyes, and found his hand. She clasped onto it tightly. They sat in silence for several minutes.

Katniss suddenly remembered something. "Do you remember Link?"

"One of the kidnapped victors? Yeah. I remember him." Gale replied

"Did you know that his district, during the Dark Days, had a hero?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. He saved many people from muttations and Peacekeepers. Link is his descendant."

Gale's eyebrows rose. "Did the hero wield a sword?"

"Yeah. Link told me that. He looked up to him, so he would train in the forest, like us. I found something that belonged to the hero, I think. In Link's house." Katniss reached over to the bag, opened it, and pulled out the journal. She handed it to Gale, who opened it to a random page, and began to read aloud.

"I've never felt this happy since as long as I can remember. I was wed to Malon yesterday." He read. "My beautiful Malon. She won't let go of me, and I don't want her to. I feel whole again. My adopted mother's death tore a part of me away, but now Malon has given it back. I don't want to lose that part of me again. I'll never let go."

Gale looked up from the worn pages. "This is very emotional." He said. Katniss agreed with a nod. Gale gently shut the book, and held it on his lap.

Before they knew it, the ruins of District 13 came into view, looking just as charming as 12. But 13 was still alive, and well. They've been living underground for 75 years.

You can't go above ground unless it's for exercise and sunlight. But you can only go up at very specific times in your schedule.

Ah, the schedule. You can't miss it. Every morning, you're supposed to stick your right arm in this contraption in the wall. It tattoos the smooth inside of your forearm with your schedule for the day in a sickly purple ink. The ink stays on until bath time, when the water rinses it off, and prepares you for the schedule the next day.

Katniss pretty much ignored the schedule, except for meals. She would wander around or fall asleep instead.

From the landing pad, Gale and Katniss walked down a series of stairways to Compartment 307, where Katniss slept.

Katniss hesitated at the doorway. "What am I going to tell them about Twelve?"

"I doubt they'll ask for details. They saw it burn. They'll mostly be worried about how you're handling it." Gale touched her cheek. "Like I am."

Katniss pressed her face against his hand for a moment. The people out there may be real big fans of Katniss and Peeta being together as a couple. But truly, Katniss loved Gale. And Gale loved Katniss. They've kissed before. Somebody had told a harmless lie about Gale, telling the Capitol that he was Katniss's cousin. Probably to keep him out of some kind of trouble. "I'll survive." Said Katniss. Gale handed her the hero's journal.

Katniss took a deep breath, and entered the room. Her mother and sister were home for _18:00-Reflection._ A half and hour downtime before dinner. They're concern showed on their faces. Before either one could ask anything, she took her bag, and dumped it's contents onto the floor. _18:00-Reflection_ quickly transformed into _18:00-Cat Adoration._ Prim just sat on the floor weeping and rocking the awful Buttercup, who interrupted his purring only for the occasional hiss and Katniss.

Katniss's mother hugged another thing that she found in her house. A wedding photo. She placed it, along with her book of plants, on their government-issued chest of drawers. Katniss hung her father's jacket on the back of a chair. She took the journal, and sat on the bed.

"What's that, Katniss?" Asked Prim, nodding to the book.

"Something that I thought I could give to Zelda." Came the reply. Prim nodded understandingly.

* * *

They were heading down to the dining hall for dinner, Katniss with the book in her hands, Gale next to her, when Gale's communicuff began to beep. It looked like an oversized watch, but it could receive print messages. I was a special privilege to be granted one. Gale earned it by rescuing the citizens of 12. "They need the two of us in Command." He said.

Katniss trailed after him, journal clutched tightly in her hand. The room she entered was complete with computerized talking walls, electronic maps, and a giant rectangular table with control panels that she wasn't supposed to touch. Everyone was gathered at a television screen at the far end of the room that aired the Capitol broadcast around the clock. Plutarch caught sight of her, and beckoned her over. Katniss reluctantly moved forward to watch. It was almost entertaining to find that Caesar Flickerman, the eternal host of the Hunger Games, was on the screen. But then the camera pulled back, and Katniss saw that his guest was Peeta.

Katniss made a sound kind of like a gasp and a groan at the same time. She pushed people out of the way until she found herself right in front of the screen. Her fingers rested on the screen as she searched his body for any sign of torture. She found nothing. In fact, he looked just about the most healthy he's ever been.

Caesar settled himself in the chair across from Peeta. "So… Peeta… welcome back. "

Peeta gave a slight smile. "I bet you thought you'd done your last interview with me, Caesar."

"I confess, I did." Came the reply. "The night before the Quarter Quell… Well, who ever thought we'd see you again?"

Peeta frowned. "It wasn't part of my plan, that's for sure."

"I think it was clear to all of us what your plan was. To sacrifice yourself in the arena so that Katniss Everdeen and your child could survive."

"That was it. Clear and simple. And I think Link was going for the same thing, only willing to sacrifice himself for either one of us. Or both. But other people had plans as well."

"Why don't you tell us about last night in the arena?" Suggested Caesar. "Help us sort a few things out."

Peeta nodded. "That last night… To tell you about that last night… Well, first of all, you have to imagine how it felt in the arena. It was like being an insect trapped under a bowl filled with steaming air. And all around you, jungle… Gem and alive and ticking. That giant clock ticking away your life. Every hour promising some new horror. You have to imagine that in the last two days, sixteen people have died-some of them defending you. At the rate things were going, the last eight will be dead by morning. Save one. The victor. And your plan is that it won't be you.

"Once you're in the arena, the rest of the world becomes very distant. All the people and things you loved or cared about almost cease to exist. The pink sky and the monsters in the jungle and the tributes who want your blood become your final reality, the only one that ever mattered. As bad as it makes you feel, you're going to have to do some killing, because in the arena, you only get one wish. And it's very costly. "

"It costs your life." Said Caesar.

"Oh, no. It costs more than your life. To murder innocent people?" Said Peeta. "It costs everything that you are."

" _Everything that you are."_ Caesar repeated quietly.

Peeta continued after a brief silence. "So you hold on to your wish. And that last night, yes, my wish to save Katniss. But even without knowing about the rebels, it didn't feel right. Everything was too complicated. I found myself regretting I hadn't run off with her earlier in the day, as she had suggested. Or at least make Link follow her. He would have kept her safe. But he stayed with us. When we ran, he protected me, fighting Brutus and Enobaria. He told me to go. He didn't object when I ran back to find Katniss. But there was no getting out of it at that point."

"You were too caught up in Beetee's plan to electrify the salt lake." Said Caesar.

"Too busy playing allies with the others. I should have never let them separate us!" Peeta burst out. "That's when I lost her."

"When you stayed at the lightning tree, and she and Johanna Mason took the coil of wire down to the water. " Caesar clarified.

"I didn't want to! But I couldn't argue with Beetee without indicating we were about to break away from the alliance. When that wire was cut, everything just went insane. I can only remember bits and pieces. Link shouting to me. Telling me to go. Trying to find Katniss. Watching Brutus kill Chaff. Killing Brutus myself. I know she was calling my name. Then the lightning bolt hit the tree, and the force field in the arena… Blew out."

"Katniss blew it out, Peeta." Said Caesar. "You've seen the footage."

"She didn't know what she was doing. None of us could follow Beetee's plan. You can see her trying to figure our what to do with that wire." Peeta snapped back.

"All right. It just looks suspicious." Said Caesar. "As of she was part of the rebels' plan all along."

Peeta suddenly stood, and leaned in to Caesar's have, his hands locked on the arms of his chair. "Really? And was it part of her plan for Johanna to nearly kill her? For that electric shock to paralyze her? To trigger the bombing?" He began to yell. "She didn't know, Caesar! Katniss, Link, and I! None of us knew anything except that we were trying to keep each other alive!"

Caesar placed a hand on his chest in a gesture that's both self-protecting and conciliatory. "Okay, Peeta. I believe you."

"Okay." Peeta withdrew himself, and slumped back into his chair, running a hand through his styled blond hair.

Caesar studied Peeta. "What about your mentor, Haymitch Abernathy?"

Peeta's face hardened. "I don't know what Haymitch knew."

"Could he have been part of the conspiracy?"

"He never mentioned it."

"What does your heart tell you?"

"That I shouldn't have trusted him. That's all."

Caesar patted his shoulder. "We can stop now if you want."

"Was there more to discuss?" Asked Peeta wryly.

"I was going to ask your thoughts on the war, but if you're too upset…"

"Oh, I'm not too upset to answer that." Peeta looked straight at the camera after taking a deep breath. "I want everyone watching-whether you're on the Capitol or the rebel side-to stop for just a moment and think about that this war could mean. For human beings. We almost went extinct fighting one another before. Now our members are even fewer. Our conditions more tenuous. Is this really what we want to do? Kill ourselves off competent? In the hopes that-what? Done decent species will inherit the smoking remains of the earth?"

"I don't really… I'm not sure I'm following… " said Caesar.

"We can't fight one another, Caesar. There won't be enough of us left to keep going. If everybody doesn't lay down their weapons-and I mean, as in _very soon_ -it's all over, anyway."

"So… You're calling for a cease-fire?" asked Caesar.

"Yes. I'm calling for a cease-fire. Now why don't we ask the guards to take me back to my quarters so I can build another hundred cards houses?"

Caesar turned to the camera. "All right. I think that wraps it up. So back to our regularly scheduled programming."

Music played them out. The usual showed up on the screen. Katniss watched with uncharacteristic absorption. She knew everyone was waiting for her reaction from the interview. Peeta, the man that she was so happy to see, had called for a cease-fire. He sounded as if he were condemning both sides in the war. But at this point, a cease-fire could only result in a return to our previous status. Or worse.

Katniss could hear the accusations against Peeta building from behind her. The words _traitor, liar,_ and _enemy_ bounced off the walls. Katniss decided that the best thing to do was leave. As she reached the door, Coin, president of 13, called out to her. "You have not been dismissed, Soldier Everdeen."

One of her men laid a hand on her arm. Katniss reacted defensively, and jerked her arm free. She took off running in the halls. She heard a scuffle behind her, but she didn't stop. She ran to a hiding place that she knew of. The supply closet.

"You're alive." Katniss whispered. Peeta's alive. And a traitor. But she didn't care at the moment. She hugged the hero's journal.

After a while, the door opened, and somebody slipped inside. Gale slid down beside her, his nose trickling blood.

"What happened?" Katniss asked.

"I got in Boggs's way." Gale shrugged. Katniss tried wiping his nose with her sleeve. "Watch it!"

Katniss tried to be gentler. Patting not wiping. "Which one is he? "

"Oh, you know. Coin's right-hand lackey. The one who tried to stop you." Gale pushed her hand away. "Quit! You'll bleed me to death."

Katniss gave up her first-aid attempts after seeing that the trickle of blood had turned into a steady stream. "You fought with Boggs?"

"No, just blocked the doorway when he tried to follow you. His elbow caught me in the nose."

"They'll probably punish you."

"Already have." Gale held up his wrist. "Coin took back my communicuff."

Katniss tried to keep a serious expression by biting her lip, but the whole thing seemed ridiculous. "I'm sorry, Soldier Gale Hawthorne."

"Don't be, Soldier Katniss Everdeen." Gale grinned. "I felt like a jerk walking around with it anyway." They both started to laugh. "I think it was quite a demotion."

Katniss remembered how glad she was to have Gale back.

"Who are these people?" Said Katniss.

"They're us. If we'd had nukes instead of a few lumps of coal. "

"I like to think Twelve wouldn't have abandoned the rest of the rebels back in the Dark Days."

"We might have. If it was that, surrender, or start a nuclear war. In a way, it's remarkable they survived at all."

"Still, it took them long enough to show up."

"It wasn't simple. They had to build up a rebel base in the Capitol, get some sort of underground organized in the districts. Then they needed someone to set the whole thing in motion. They needed you."

"They needed Peeta too. And Link. But they seemed to have forgotten that." Said Katniss.

Gale's face darkened. "Peeta might have done a lot of damage tonight. Most of the rebels will dismiss what he said immediately, of course. But there are districts where the resistance is shakier. The cease-fire's clearly President Snow's idea. But it seems reasonable coming out of Peeta's mouth."

"Why do you think he said it?"

"He might have been tortured. Or persuaded. My guess is made of some kind of deal to protect you. He'd put forth the idea of the cease-fire if Snow let him present you as a confused pregnant girl who had no idea what was going on when she was taken prisoner by the rebels. This way, if the districts lose, there's still a chance of leniency for you. If you play it right." Gale spoke slowly. "Katniss… He's still trying to keep you alive."

 _To keep me alive?_ Katniss thought. Then she understood. Peeta wanted her to lay low and remain safe and imprisoned. But Peeta? If the rebels win, it could be disastrous for him. They'd punish him. If the Capitol wins, who knows?

"What about Link?" Asked Katniss. "What do you think they're doing to him?"

"I'm sure that they know he doesn't have any information for them by now."

"But then they're going to use him against us too…"

"Maybe, Katniss. But we wouldn't be able to do anything right now. Don't worry about Link. You know him well. He's a strong person."

Katniss reluctantly nodded. She thought for a few moments. Suddenly she sprang up, upsetting a box of hundred pencils, sending them scattering around the floor.

"What is it?" Gale asked.

"There can't be a cease-fire." Katniss bent over to pick up the dropped pencils. "We can't go back."

"I know." Gale started to help.

"Whatever reason Peeta had for saying those things, he's wrong." Katniss broke several pencils in frustration.

"I know. Give it here. You're breaking them to bits."

"He doesn't know what they did to Twelve. If he could've seen what was on the ground-"

"Katniss, I'm not arguing. If I could not a button and kill every living soul working for the Capitol, I would do it. Without hesitation. The question it. What are you going to do?"

Katniss to a deep breath. "I'm going to be the Mockingjay."

* * *

R&R plz!


	34. Chapter 33

I know that you didn't miss me, that you hate me and think that I'm a disgrace to all authors, but I still haven't given up on this story, despite not updating for a while. I finally managed to finish this chapter. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

They had recently moved from electrocuting, to beating.

No, the Capitol had not figured out yet that Link had no information. Unfortunately, he was known all around the whole country not just for his victory in the Games, but his silence throughout them. The Capitol must have thought he was simply using that silence trick to keep himself from spilling anything, for he hadn't said a word since they brought him in. It's been weeks, maybe even months, (he didn't bother to keep track) since they first started torturing him. But he refused to say anything.

Link was still stuck on his hard table, the restraints hurting his limbs from struggling so much. Sometimes they would pull him off of the table, and into another room, where they would chain him to the ceiling, letting him hang there, and beat the pulp out of him. He thought he could faint every time he glanced at his bare torso. They would keep him hanging for hours at a time before they sent an Avox or a Peacekeeper in to take him back to his table. As soon as the chains slipped off his wrists he would collapse on the cold floor, and into his blood that had splattered across it. The Capitol always had to send in two Avoxes to pick him up and carry him into the room, because he didn't have the strength to do it himself.

Link was thankful that they left him alone for days before they started hurting him again. They didn't want to kill him. But now, he wasn't sure if he wanted to live. It was too much.

One day, an Avox came in, bringing him food. Link immediately recognized him as the Avox that had served him before the Games. The Avox set the tray of food down, and began to pick up the food with a fork to feed Link, since he was unable to do it himself. Link felt more comfortable around him. So he spoke for the first time in weeks.

"Don't." He whispered.

The Avox stopped, and rose an eyebrow at him.

"I don't want it." He told him.

The Avox motioned towards Link's stomach. He was concerned for Link. Link had always been kind to him, and so he didn't want him to starve. Link shook his head.

"I don't want it." Link added a bit more voice into his words as he repeated the sentence. His Avox took on a sad look, as if pleading him to eat. "I can't." Said Link. "I don't think I want to live anymore. The pain is too much. I want to die before anymore pain reaches me."

The Avox looked around before taking his finger, and tracing letters in the air. All Avoxes were mute. The Capitol did something to their tongue that prevented them from speaking. Link made out the letters the Avox traced in the air with hardly any effort at all: _Hunger is pain._

Link sighed, and his eyelids drooped as he relaxed back onto his table. He nodded. "I guess you have a point." He shut his eyes. They reopened when he felt the Avox's hand on his bloodied shoulder, his sad gaze upon him. _Don't give up._ He wrote in the air. _Believe in your strengths._

Link looked up at him, confused. "What good are my strengths when my hands are chained to solid surfaces?" The Avox smiled slightly. _Believe,_ he wrote again. _Food?_

"I guess I should." Link sighed. The Avox nodded, and began feeding the food to Link.

* * *

Katniss couldn't sleep. She'd been tossing and turning for hours. She stood from the bed, and began to tiptoe over to the dresser.

Underneath her clothes in the middle drawer was where Katniss kept her few items she had when being lifted out of the arena. Her mockingjay pin. Peeta's gold locket. A silver parachute that held the spile, and the pearl Peeta gave her. Her weapons were in the armoury.

Katniss reached down into the drawer until she wrapped her fingers around the pearl. She sat back down on the bed, cross-legged.

"Katniss?" Came Prim's sleepy voice from behind her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just a bad dream." Replied Katniss. "Go back to sleep." Prim carefully scooped up Buttercup, and made her way over to her. She sat beside her, and touched her hand.

"You're cold." She told Katniss. She took a spare blanket, and wrapped it around Katniss, herself, and Buttercup. "You could tell me, you know. I'm good at keeping secrets. Even from Mother."

Prim had grown up much too quickly. It couldn't have been too long since she needed help reaching the dishes, or begged to see the frosted cakes in the bakery window. She simply wasn't a little girl anymore.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm going to agree to be the Mockingjay." Katniss told her.

"Because you want to or because you feel forced to do it?"

Katniss laughed slightly. "Both I guess. No, I want to. If it will help the rebels defeat Snow. If it can get Peeta, Johanna, and Link out. It's just… Peeta. I'm afraid if we do win, the rebels will execute him as traitor."

Prim thought it over. "Katniss, I don't think you understand how important you are to the cause. Important people usually get what they want. If you want to keep Peeta safe from the rebels, you can."

"You mean… I could demand that they give Peeta immunity? And they'd have to agree with it?"

"I think you could demand almost anything and they'd have to agree with it. Only how do you know they'll keep their word?"

"It will have to be public." Said Katniss. "I'll make Coin announce it in front of the entire population of Thirteen."

Prim smiled. "Oh, that's good. It's not a guarantee, but it will be much harder for them to back out of their promise."

"I should wake you more often, little duck."

"I wish you would." Prim kissed Katniss on the cheek. "Try and sleep now, all right?"

She did.

* * *

Katniss's schedule showed that _7:30-Command_ came right after _7:00-Breakfast,_ which was fine with her. Before heading to the dining hall, she grabbed the hero's journal.

At the finished dining hall, Katniss took her food over to the table assigned to the Everdeens and Hawthorns, and some other refugees, including Zelda. She sat, placing the hero's journal onto the table. Zelda was already sitting.

"I brought something that I thought you might want. I found it at Link's house." Katniss nodded at the journal. Zelda's blue eyes looked down at the old book. Carefully, she reached for it, and pulled it closer. She began to study it.

"I don't recognize it." She finally said.

"What?" Said Katniss. "Didn't Link show it to you?"

"I don't recall it." Said Zelda. She opened its pages, and began to read silently. Suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "Yes, I think Link told me about this once. But he never told me that he had it." She looked up at Katniss. "You said you found this in his house?" Katniss nodded. "Huh. I've never seen it before."

Just then, Gale sat down with his tray of food right next to Katniss. Gale slopped a spoonful of mashed turnips into her bowl.

"You've got to stop that." Said Katniss. It's not very convincing, though, since she already started shoveling the stuff into her mouth. "Really. It's probably illegal or something." District 13 had really strict rules about food. You couldn't take it from the dining hall. You couldn't get seconds.

"What can they do? They've already got my communicuff." Said Gale.

"What happened?" Asked Zelda.

"He got in the way of one of Coin's men." Said Katniss as she scraped her bowl clean. "Hey, maybe I should make that a condition of being the Mockingjay."

"That I can feed you turnips?" Asked Gale.

"No, that we can hunt." Said Katniss, immediately catching Gale's attention. "We'd have to give everything to the kitchen. But still, we could…" she didn't finish, realizing that she didn't need to.

"Do it." Said Gale. "Now's the time. You could ask for the moon and they'd have to find some way to get it."

"What are you scheduled for?"

"Nuclear History class. Where, by the way, your absence has been noted."

"I have to go to Command. Come with me?"

"All right. But they might throw me out after yesterday." They left the table to drop off their trays. "You know, you better put Buttercup on your list of demands, too. I don't think the concept of useless pets is well known here."

"Oh, they'll find him a job. Tattoo it on his paw every morning."

By the time they made their way to Command, Coin, Plutarch, and everybody else had already assembled. Nobody threw Gale out. Katniss asked for a piece of paper and a pencil, which was personally handed to her by Coin. She sat the the table, and began to write. _Buttercup. Hunting. Peeta's immunity. Announced in public._

That's it? Surely there was something else she wanted. _Gale._ She added to the list. She didn't want to do this without him.

Her thoughts began to tangle. She shut her eyes, and began to recite silently.

 _My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. My home is District 12. I was in the Hunger games. I escaped. The Capitol Hates me. Link was taken prisoner. I think he's alive. Peeta was also taken prisoner. He is alive. He is a traitor but alive. I have to keep him and Link alive…_

The list was still too small. Shouldn't she be asking for more? For her family? The remainder of her people? Her skin began to itch with the ashes of the dead. Katniss felt the sickening impact of the skull against her shoe. The scent of blood and roses stung her nose.

The pencil moved across the page on its own. She opened her eyes and saw the wobbly letters. _I KILL SNOW._ If he was captured, she wanted the privilege.

Plutarch have a discreet cough. "About done there?" Katniss glanced up at the clock. She had been sitting there for twenty minutes. Finnick wasn't the only one with attention problems.

"Yeah." Said Katniss. She cleared her throat. "Yeah, so this is the deal. I'll be your Mockingjay." she waited. "But I have some conditions." She smoothed out her list. "My family gets to keep our cat." Already an argument started. Finally it was decided that they'll be moved to the top level, which had the luxury of an eight-inch window aboveground. Buttercup was expected to feed himself. If he missed curfew, then he was to be locked out. Any security problems caused by him, and he would be shot immediately.

Katniss provided her next request. "I want to hunt. With Gale. Out in the woods." Everyone paused.

"We won't go far. We'll use our own bows. You can have the meat for the kitchen." Gale added.

"It's just… I can't breath shut up here like a...I would get better, faster, if...I could hunt."

Plutarch started to explain the drawbacks, but Coin cut him off. "No. Let them. Give them two hours a day, deducted from their training time. A quarter-mile radius. With communication units and tracker anklets. What's next?"

Katniss skimmed her list. "Gale. I'll need him with me to do this."

"With you how? Off camera? By your side at all times? Do you want him presented as your new lover?"

Katniss's mouth dropped. "What?"

"I think we should continue the current romance. A quick defection from Peeta could cause the audience to list sympathy for her." Said Plutarch. "Especially since they think she's pregnant with his child."

"Agreed. so, on-screen, he can simply be portrayed as a fellow rebel. Is that alright?" Katniss just stared at Coin. "For Gale." She repeated. "Will that be sufficient?"

"We can always work him in as your cousin." Said Fulvia, another person in the room.

"We're not cousins." Gale and Katniss said together.

"Right, but we should probably keep that up from appearances on camera." Said Plutarch. "Off camera, he's all yours. Anything else?"

Katniss began to blush with anger. That people would think that she would so readily dispose of Peeta. She let the anger propel into her greatest demand. "When the war is over, if we've won, Peeta will be pardoned."

Dead silence.

"No form of punishment will be inflicted. The same goes for the other captured tributes. Johanna, Enobaria. And Link."

"No." Said Coin flatly.

"Yes." Katniss shot back. "It's not their fault you abandoned them in the arena. Who knows what the Capitol is doing to them?"

"They'll be tried with other war criminals and tested as the tribunal sees fit." She said.

"They'll be granted immunity!" Katniss rose from her chair. "You will personally pledge this in front of the entire population of District Thirteen, the remainder of Twelve, and the loved ones of Link who are staying here. Soon. Today. It will be recorded for future generations. You will hold yourself and your government responsible for their safety, or you'll find yourself another Mockingjay!"

Her words hung in the air.

"That's her!" She heard Fulvia hiss to Plutarch. "Right there. With the costume, gunfire in the background, just a hint of smoke."

"Yes, that's what we want." Plutarch agreed.

Katniss wanted to glare at them, but she kept her attention toward Coin.

"What do you say, president? " asked Plutarch. "You could issue an official pardon, given the circumstances. The boy… He's not even of age."

"All right." Said Coin finally. "But you'd better perform."

"I'll perform once you've made the announcements." Katniss replied.

"Call a national security assembly during Reflection today," Coin ordered. "I'll make the announcement then. Is there anything left on your list, Katniss?"

Katniss smoothed out her now crumbled piece of paper. "Just one more thing. I kill Snow."

For the first time ever, Katniss saw the hint of a smile appear on the president's lips. "When the time comes, I'll flip you for it."

"Fair enough."

Coin took at her arm with her schedule. "I'll leave her in your hands, then, Plutarch." She exited the room, followed by her team. Plutarch, Fulvia, Gale, and Katniss were the only ones left in the room.

"Excellent. Excellent." Plutarch sunk down, elbows on the table, hands rubbing his eyes. "You know what I miss? More than anything? Coffee. I ask you, would it be so unthinkable to have something to wash down the gruel and turnips?"

"We didn't think it would be so rigid here." Fulvia began to massage Plutarch's shoulders. "Not in the higher ranks."

"Or at least there'd be the option of a little side action." Says Plutarch. "I mean, even Twelve had a black market, right?"

"Yeah the Hob." Said Gale. "It's where we traded."

"There, you see? And look how moral you two are! Virtually incorruptible." Plutarch sighed. "Oh, well, wars don't last forever. So, glad to have you on the team." He reached a hand out to the side, where Fulvia handed him a large sketchbook bound in black leather. "You know in general what we're asking of you, Katniss. I'm aware you have mixed feelings about participating. I hope this will help." He slid the sketchbook across the table to Katniss. Curiosity got the better of her. She opened the cover.

Standing there was a picture of herself standing straight and strong. She wore a black uniform. She was the mockingjay once again. Only one person could have designed that outfit. Her murdered stylist.

"Cinna." Katniss whispered.

"Yes, he made me promise not to show you this book until you'd decided to be the Mockingjay on your own. Believe me, I was very tempted. " said Plutarch. "Go on. Flip thorough."

Katniss did so, taking in every detail drawn on the paper. The body armor designed to protect her, reinforced near the heart. The hidden weapons in her boots and belt. On the last page, Cinna had sketched a picture of her mockingjay pin. Underneath were the words, _I'm still betting on you._

"When did he…" Katniss's voice failed her.

"Let's see. Well, after the Quarter Quell announcement. A few weeks before the Games maybe? These are not only the sketches. We have your uniforms. Oh, and Beetee's got something really special waiting for you down in the armory. I won't spoil it by hinting. " said Plutarch.

"You're going to be the best-dressed rebel in history." Gale said with a smile.

"Oh, yeah." Said Plutarch. "This is probably kind of foolish, but we've been making similar things for Link as well. His own stylist moved here after he learned that Link had been captured. His armor, like yours, was shaped for his use and his use only. But there's something missing. We need to paint something spectacular on it. I don't know what, but we'll get some ideas eventually."

Katniss nodded.

Plutarch continued speaking. "Our plan is to launch an Airtime Assault to make a series of what we call propos-which is short for 'propaganda spots'- featuring you, and broadcast them to the entire population of Panem."

"How? The Capitol has sole control of the broadcasts." Said Gale.

"But we have Beetee. About ten years ago, he essentially redesigned the underground network that transmits all the programming. He thinks there's a reasonable chance it can be done. Of course, we'll need something to air. So, Katniss, the studio awaits your pleasure." Plutarch turned to his assistant. "Fulvia?"

"Plutarch and I have been talking about how on earth we can pull this off. We think that or might be best to build you, our rebel leader, from the outside… _In._ That is to say, let's find the most stunning Mockingjay look possible, then work your personality up to deserving it!"

"You already have her uniform." Gale told her.

"Yes but is she scarred and bloody? Is she glowing with the fire is rebellion? Just how grimy can we make her without disgusting people? At any rate, she has to be something. I mean, obviously this"-Fulvia walked over to Katniss, and framed her face with her hands- "won't cut it." Katniss jerked back. "So with that in mind, we have another little surprise for you. Come, come."

Gale and Katniss followed her and Plutarch to the hall

"So well intended, and yet so insulting." Gale whispered in Katniss's ear.

"Welcome to the Capitol." she mouthed back. She hugged the black sketchbook closer. If Cinna wanted it, then becoming the mockingjay must be the right decision.

They boarded an elevator, and Plutarch checked his notes. "Let's see. It's Compartment Three-Nine-Oh-Eight." He pressed the button that was marked with the number _39_ , but nothing happened.

"You must have to key it." Suggested Fulvia.

Plutarch pulled out a key, and slid it into a tiny slot in the wall. The doors slid shut. "Ah, there we are."

The elevator went down deep. Real deep. At last it came to a stop. They stepped out.

A guard had just then entered the hall, and the walked over to them.

Something felt wrong down there. Gale seemed to sense it as well.

"Good morning." Plutarch told the guard. "We were just looking for-"

"You're on the wrong floor." The guard interrupted.

"Really? I've got Three-Nine-Oh-Eight written here. I wonder if you could just give a call up to-"

"I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave now. Assignment discrepancies can be addressed at the Head Office."

Compartment 3908 stood right in front of them. It seemed incomplete. In fact, all the doors seemed this way. They all lacked doorknobs. They must swing free on hinges.

"Where is that again?" Asked Fulvia.

"You'll find the Head Office on Level Seven." The guard told them.

From behind door 3908 came a sound. A tiny whimper. Katniss's eyes found Gale's for a brief moment, just enough time for two people to operate like they did. Katniss suddenly dropped the sketchbook, and it landed on the ground. Both the guard and Gale acted at the same time, bending down to retrieve it. Gale intentionally bumped his head against the guard's. "Oh, I'm sorry." He caught the guard's arms as if to steady himself, and turned him away from Katniss.

That was her chance. Katniss darted around the distracted guard, and pushed open the door marked _3908._ That's when she found them. Half-naked, bruised, and shackled to the wall.

Her prep team.

* * *

I do believe that from this point of the story on is going to have a few more Zelda references. I need to actually write the rest to find out. plz R&R! Your reviews really do make my day!


	35. Chapter 34

This chapter is a bit shorter than my last ones. sorry. I'll see when I can keep writing.

* * *

The three bodies were hardly recognizable, but Katniss knew them by their choice of fashion. Flavius, the only male in the room, and his orange corkscrew curls. Octavia, who dyed her skin a sickly shade of green, and Venia, with her golden facial tattoos.

On seeing Katniss, Flavius and Octavia shrank back in fear, like as If she'd attack them.

The guard tried to order her out, but Gale was somehow detaining him. Katniss crossed over to Venia, the strongest of the three prep designers, and took her icy hands.

"What happened, Venia?" Katniss asked her. "What are you doing here?"

"They took us. From the Capitol." She said horsely.

Plutarch entered the room. "What on earth is going on?"

"Who took you?" Katniss asked.

"People. The night you broke out."

"We thought it might be comforting for you to have your regular team." Said Plutarch behind her. "Cinna requested it."

"Cinna requested _this?"_ Katniss snarled at him. "Why are they being treated like criminals?"

"I honestly don't know." Plutarch turned to the guard. "I was told they were only being confined. Why are they being punished?"

"For stealing food. We had to restrain them after an altercation over some bread." Said the guard.

"No one would tell us anything." Said Venia. "It was just one slice she took."

Octavia began to sob, muffling the sound in her dirty tunic. Katniss crawled over to her. "Octavia?" She flinched when Katniss's fingers touched her. "Octavia? It's going to be alright. I'll get you out of here okay?"

"This seems extreme." Said Plutarch.

"It's because they took a slice of bread?" Asked Gale.

"There were repeated infractions leading up to that. They were warned. Still they took more bread." Said the guard. He paused for a moment, as if puzzled by their density. "You can't take bread."

Katniss turned back to Octavia. "I'm bringing you to my mother." She faced the guard. "Unchain them."

The guard shook his head. "It's not authorized."

"Unchain them! Now!"

"I have no release orders. And you have no authority to-"

"-do it on my authority." Plutarch cut in. "We came to connect these three anyway. They're needed for Special Defense. I'll take full responsibility."

The guard left to make a call, then returned with a set of keys. The prep team had trouble walking even after the shackles were removed. Gale, Plutarch, and Katniss had to help them across the floor.

* * *

"How many times do I need to ask you? What is District Thirteen going to do?"

Silence.

"You are a fool. You're going to get yourself killed just because you won't speak." *a switch is pulled*

"Aghhhhhhh! Ung, ahhh! Aghh! *pant pant*"

"This is doing you no good. Tell us what Thirteen's plans are, and your pain will cease."

*quiet sob*

"Are you ready to speak?"

Silence.

That's what it's been for a long time now. Link refused to say a single word. Even if it's just a pointless "Stop!" Or, "release me!" He wouldn't say it. The Capitol has tried everything on the planet.

The switch was pulled again.

Link was getting electrocuted while hanging from the ceiling, his toes barely grazing the floor. He struggled helplessly against the chains cutting into his wrists. His own screams pained him even more. Sometimes he would think, _whose screams are those?_ But then he'd remember, _oh, right. They're mine._

The switch turned off.

"Don't think you can save your friends. You're just a weak, foolish kid. If you gave us what we want, we could have mercy on your friends, and give them a quick death. But because you refuse to speak, their death will be slow and painful. Each person dies, one by one."

Link kept his head lowered, and his eyes shut.

The torturer took a hold of a rod with tiny spikes all over it, and whacked Link on the back with it. Link cried out in pain. He could feel blood rush down his bare back. But he still didn't speak. The torturer growled, and left the room, leaving Link hanging.

Link opened his eyes slightly to be slivers of blue. He quickly shut them, not wanting to see his surroundings. They would be coated with his own blood, he was sure. Definitely not something he wanted to see.

He heard himself make a quiet sobbing noise. Instead of stopping, they grew louder, ever so slightly. How much longer could he bear this? He didn't know.

He hung for about an hour before two Avoxes stepped inside, one holding a key. The one holding the key unlocked him, and the other caught him just before he reached the floor. Slowly he laid him down on the ground on his stomach.

Link let out a very tiny sigh of relief. But his wrists and back-actually, more like his entire body, was incredibly sore. The fresh cuts stung.

After lying there for a bit, the Avoxes picked him up, and carried him back to his table. There, he was flipped onto his back, and his bleeding limbs were cuffed into the surface. The Avoxes left in silence. A few minutes passed.

An image suddenly made it's way into Link's head. A girl. A girl about his age. With blond hair and blue eyes.

Link could feel tears well up in his eyes at the memory. It was Zelda. Laughing. She had just played a rather good prank on Link. Link was laughing with her. Neither could stop. Zelda suddenly gave Link a playful shove, still laughing.

"You should've seen the look on your face! It was priceless!" she had said.

"Really?" Link replied. "I thought my face was always priceless."

"Oh, stop it!" Zelda giggled.

It was such a good memory. Especially of Zelda.

Zelda.

Zelda...

Link didn't bother to stop the tears from falling down his face. He missed her more than ever. He hoped that she was safe. That she wasn't facing pain, like he was. If his pain was transferred over to Zelda, Link would kill her to put her out of her misery. To keep her away from this blood. This torture. This pain.

Link had to reach her. The mere thought of seeing her was probably the only thing keeping him from dying. Willing him to keep hold of his life. He could hear her voice in his head. _Link...darling...don't let go...don't die...you're going to be all right...just a little bit longer...hold on..._

 _Hold on..._

"Zelda…" Link spoke in barely a whisper. He shut his eyes as more tears came. "Zelda…"

He found himself whispering to her, as if Zelda was right there, listening.

"I love you…" he said. "I love you… please… be safe." more tears.

"Be safe…"

* * *

I hope you enjoyed! Plz plz plz plz plz R&R!

O_o


	36. Chapter 35

I didn't disappear, I swear! sorry to disappoint you. I'm sure you were waiting for the day that I would.

Never mind that, I've got a story to tell.

Also, Merry Christmas everyone! and a Happy New Year to all who want it!

* * *

Katniss brought her prep team to her mother, who was known as an excellent healer.

Gale sat next to Katniss, and placed his arm around her shoulders. "She'll fix them up." Katniss have him a nod.

Plutarch and Fulvia sat down on the bench across from them, and remained silent.

"I guess we've all been put on notice." Katniss finally said.

"What?" Asked Fulvia. "No. What do you mean?"

"Punishing my prep team's a warning." Katniss told her. "Not just to me, but to you too. About who's really in control and what maidens if she's not obeyed. If you had and delusions about having power, I'd let them go now. Apparently, a Capitol pedigree is no protection here. Maybe it's even a liability."

"There is no comparison between Plutarch, who masterminded the rebel breakout, and those three beauticians." Said Fulvia in an icy tone.

Katniss shrugged. "If you say so Fulvia. But what would happen if you got on Coin's bad side? My prep team was kidnapped. They can at least hope to one day return to the Capitol. Gale and I can live in the woods. But you? Where would you two run?"

"Perhaps we're a little more necessary to the way effort than you give us credit for." Said Plutarch, unconcerned.

"Of course you are. The tributes were necessary to the Games, too. Until they weren't." Katniss replied. "And then we were very disposable-right, Plutarch?"

That was the end of the conversation.

Katniss's mother found them. "They'll be all right." She reported. "No permanent physical injuries."

"Good." Said Plutarch. "Splendid. How soon can they be put to work?"

"Probably tomorrow." Came the reply. "You'll have to expect some emotional instability, after what they've been through. They were particularly ill prepared, coming from their life in the Capitol."

"Weren't we all?" Said Plutarch.

Katniss was released from Mockingjay duties for the rest out the day.

* * *

At lunch, Zelda sat across from Katniss and Gale.

"Hello." She said, her voice lacking any cheerfulness.

"Good afternoon." Katniss replied. Gale merely nodded his greeting. Zelda smiled slightly, and looked down at her food, not touching it.

"Something wrong?" Katniss asked.

"Hm?" Zelda looked up, disturbed from her thoughts. "Oh, it's nothing." She looked down again.

"It's safe to tell us, you know." Katniss pushed slightly. Zelda sighed.

"It's… It's Link."

Oh.

"I just wish I knew what the Capitol is doing to him. That and what the rebels will do to him if we are able to get him and the others back."

Katniss smiled sadly, and placed a comforting hand over Zelda's. "You know, I made Coin give the captured tributes immunity of they wanted me to be their Mockingjay. Link is on the list."

Zelda looked up at her. "Really?" She practically whispered. Katniss silently nodded. "Thank you…" she looked down again. "It comforts me knowing this, but… I still can't get the terrible images out of my head. I don't even know is he's still alive…"

"Okay, one," Katniss started, "the Capitol must keep Link alive if they want to use him. Two, Link is a very strong person." Katniss's talking slowed down. "I've watched him. He can hang on to a belief for a million years if he wanted to. If he believes that he will be able to see you again, then that mere thought will be enough to power his will to live. He loves you, Zelda."

Zelda sighed. "Thank you. That really helps."

Gale pulled up his sleeve, taking a look at his schedule. "I've got training next."

Katniss looked at her own schedule. "Me, too." Katniss remembered that training equalled hunting now. They left to drop off their trays, then ran to the armoury.

* * *

They hunted and cleaned game for two hours. They handed over the meat to a friend of theirs who worked in the kitchen.

Katniss found her Compartment, stretched out on the bed, and slept, exhausted from hunting. That is, until Prim woke her for Reflection. They followed directions to the Collective, which was simply enormous to hold thousands of people, perfect for an assembly like this.

Katniss caught sight of Finnick, who held a short, thin rope. He was rapidly tying knots, then undoing them. Katniss crossed over to him. "Hey, Finnick." He took no notice of her. Katniss nudged him. "Finnick! How are you doing?"

"Katniss," he gripped her hand. "Why are we meeting here?"

"I told Coin I'd be her Mockingjay. But I made her promise to give the other tributes immunity if the rebels won. She's announcing it in public so there are plenty of witnesses."

"Oh. Good. Because I worry about that with Annie. That she'll say something that could be construed as traitorous without knowing it." said Finnick.

Whoops. Katniss forgot about Annie. "Don't worry, I took care of it." She squeezed his hand, and approached Coin who stood at the front of the room. She rose her eyebrows at the front of the room. "I need you to add Annie Cresta to the immunity list." She told her.

The president frowned slightly. "Who's that?"

"She's Finnick Odair's… She's Finnick's friend. From District Four. Another victor. She was arrested and taken to the Capitol when the arena blew up.

"

"Oh, the mad girl. That's not really necessary." Said Coin. "We don't make a habit of punishing anyone that frail."

"No? Then it shouldn't be a problem to add Annie."

"All right. Do you want to be up here for the announcement?" Katniss shook her head. "I didn't think so. Better hurt and lose yourself in the crowd. I'm about to begin." Katniss made her way back to Finnick.

Coin called the audience to attention and told them that Katniss has consented to be the Mockingjay, provided the other victors-Peeta, Johanna, Enobaria, Annie, and Link-would be granted for any damage they do to the rebel cause.

But then the president continued speaking. Words that Katniss had not heard. "But in return for this unprecedented request, Soldier Everdeen has promised to devote herself to our cause. It follows that any deviance from her mission, in either move out deed, with be viewed as a break in the argument. The immunity would be terminated and the fate of the five victors determined by the law of District Thirteen. As would her own. Thank you."

In other words, if Katniss stepped out of line... everyone... Peeta, Johanna, Link, and even herself... were all dead.

* * *

Not a very Christmasy ending. Oh well. R&R plz!


	37. Chapter 36

Just...just read

* * *

"Any luck with the boy?"

"No sir. He still hasn't said a single word in front of us."

"I'm starting to think that he doesn't have any information. Anybody could have spilled all they had by now. Even victors aren't strong enough to hold it back. And this one is no different."

The interrogator nodded. They've been trying for weeks to get any scrap of information from that boy, and it has been useless. President Snow didn't seem too happy.

"I have to admit, though," said the President. "His screams can really sound like music to my ears. Especially after what his ancestor did to our troops during the Dark Days. I wish I could kill him, but we could use him against the Mockingjay. Pity. Though, I do guess that death for him would be like an escape. The fool."

Snow paced around his office. The interrogator watched as he did so.

"What should we do?" He finally asked. The President chuckled at this.

"What we did to Peeta, of course."

* * *

Zelda laid on her bed.

She still couldn't get the terrible images out of her head. Link. Chained to table. All bloody and scarred. Crying out in pain. Struggling. Struggling helplessly.

It was awful.

She turned to her side, waiting for sleep. It didn't come.

Oh, where was Link when you needed him?

She wanted to feel his warm embrace around her again. His soft lips pressing onto the back of her neck. His breath dancing up and down her skin.

Zelda's memories flooded her mind.

 _A boy, about ten years old, sitting at a table, an uneaten meal in front of him. Alone._

" _Excuse me," she caught his attention, his feral blue eyes looking into her own. "Is this seat taken?" He shook his head. She sat down beside him._

" _I'm Zelda." She told him. "What's your name?"_

 _The boy looked up at her again. "Link." He said._

That was when the two first met.

" _Please… Stop…"_

 _A boy much bigger than the smaller one was preparing to throw another punch into the smaller boy's face._

" _Stop… it hurts…"_

" _Then I suggest you start squirming less. You'll only make it hurt worse," The larger boy laughed._

 _But then she entered the battle._

" _What are you thinking!?" She cried. "Picking on people smaller than you? Next time, pick on somebody your own size!"_

 _The boy glared, and walked away without a word._

 _She turned to the smaller boy._

" _You alright?" She asked. He shook his head._

" _T-Thanks." He stuttered._

 _She bent over, examining his face. A black eye, and a bloody nose._

" _Oh, we should get you to the nurse." She said. The boy nodded._

Oh, yeah. Zelda remembered that one. Everybody picked on Link when he was a child for some reason. Through everyone's eyes, he was a weak, pathetic runt that couldn't stand up for himself. Through Zelda's eyes, he was a sad, shy child hoping to find someone who would understand him. Someone who cared. Someone who he could be himself around. Zelda wanted to be that someone, so she stood up for him.

" _Link!" She called, pushing her way through the crowd to reach him. She watched him as he searched the crowd for the voice._

 _Finally she reached the clearing that the crowd made for him._

" _Link!" She cried again. She ran, and leapt right into his arms. She could feel his warm embrace quickly wrap around her._

 _It felt wonderful._

 _He buried his face in her hair. "Zelda!" He practically sobbed._

 _That was when she suddenly had the urge to press her lips against his. Which is exactly what she did. She sensed his surprise, but then he returned the kiss._

 _She pulled away. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"_

 _He looked confused._

" _You were going to kill yourself!" She buried her face in his warm chest. His grip around her tightened. "And you_ do _deserve me you liar!"_

 _She felt him kiss her temple, then sigh._

That was the day Link returned from his first Hunger Games. She was overjoyed.

" _Link Avalon!"_

 _She watched as Link's face paled from where he stood in the roped-off section next to the stage. She felt her own blood drain from her own face. There was a sobbing noise coming from somewhere in the crowd._

 _It didn't take long for her to figure out that the sobs were coming from herself._

 _She watched as the head peacekeeper approached him, grab him by the arm rather harshly, and lead him towards the Justice Building._

" _New procedure, let's move!" She heard the Peacekeeper tell them._

 _Wait, new procedure? That meant she wouldn't be able to say goodbye._

 _She pushed her way through the crowd, determined to reach him._

 _Just before he entered the car that would take him to the train, she screamed his name. The Peacekeeper turned to find her hurrying towards them._

" _Woman, get out of here!" He cried._

 _She ignored him. She pulled something out of her pocket, shoved it into Link's hands, and kissed him on the lips for the last time._

 _The Peacekeeper shoved her away, and pushed Link into the car._

 _She watched as he was taken away from her a second time. She felt her eyes well up with tears. When the car drove out of sight, her hands went up to her mouth. She could feel her own tears trickle over them as she sank to her knees._

" _Link…"_

Zelda's eyes watered over at that particular memory. That was the last time she had ever seen him.

And that was weeks ago.

She missed him… so terribly much…

Zelda finally got up from the bed, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep. She wandered over to her dresser, where she picked up a framed picture. It was a sketch that she drew of Link, smiling brightly. Any of that sadness that was normally in his feral blue eyes had left him.

Tears fell down her cheeks as she ran her fingers along his flawless face. He had always been a beautiful young man...

Oh, what was the Capitol doing to him?

Zelda sniffed as she put the picture back down, and picked up the hero's journal. She carried it to her bed, and opened it towards the back.

The back of the journal was filled with sketches. Sketches drawn not only by the hero, but by his wife and other friends as well.

Her eyes settled on a picture of the hero. It showed him from the shoulders up. The sketch had been colored as well. He had long, soft blond hair that was parted in the middle and fell well past his shoulders. His face was shaped similarly to Link's. His eyes were almost exactly the same: feral blue with a hint of sadness. He was smiling the same smile she'd seen Link do. It was all too familiar.

The tears came more heavily.

Next to the portrait of the hero, Zelda spotted that same symbol that she had seen on Link's ocarina. The triangle pattern. Underneath the triangle pattern was what appeared to be a label.

 _Triforce._

That's what the label said. The triangle pattern was called a Triforce.

Zelda turned the page.

The next page had a picture of what looked like a bird in flight. (The Hylian crest, just without the Triforce)

Zelda remembered something. Katniss once told her, that Plutarch told her, that they were looking for something to paint on some armor that they made for Link for when he was rescued. This journal seemed to have some pretty good ideas.

Zelda saw some more strange symbols as she flipped through the pages (kokiri symbol, the symbol on the Door of Time, the Gerudo symbol, some more Triforces, etc.) And people. Like a young, green haired girl, (Saria) a white haired woman with blood red eyes, (Impa) a rather large, almost rocky man, (some kind of human version of Darunia) and a young woman wearing all light blue with purple eyes. (human Ruto) The person that seemed to show up the most in these sketches was a beautiful red haired woman. (Malon, the hero's wife)

Zelda turned back to the sketch of the hero, before she couldn't stand it any longer, and shut the book, placing it back on her dresser. She glanced back at her own sketch of Link, but immediately turned away, feeling the tears, once again, stream down her face.

She fell onto her bed, and buried her face into the pillow as she sobbed.

"Link…" she cried. _Link… I need you more than ever now. Please… Come back to me…_

* * *

Just...Just R&R plz.


	38. Chapter 37

I don't know how long it's been, but I'm back. Read on if you actually care.

* * *

Katniss was being prepped.

Again.

Seriously! How many times was she going to have to do this? First the Games, then the Quarter Quell, and now this?

Her life was messed up.

"Remake her to Beauty Base Zero," Fulvia ordered first thing that morning. "We'll work from there."

Apparently, Beauty Base Zero is if they stepped out of bed looking flawless but natural. Nails without polish, but shaped perfectly. Hair unstyled, but soft and shiny at the same time. Smooth skin, but not painted. Erase the dark circles.

Beauty Base Zero.

Katniss had just stepped out of the bath to find Octavia standing there with a towel ready. Once dry, her prep team worked from there.

When she was in perfect shape, she started to leave to get to lunch. Her prep team huddled by the door.

"Are they bringing your food here?" Katniss asked them.

"No," replied Venia. "We're supposed to go to a dining hall."

Great. That'll bring plenty of stares her way. Her prep team had strange fashion senses. Octavia with her skin dyed in a pale green color. Fulvia with bright orange curls. Venia with aqua hair and golden facial tattoos. "I'll show you where it is." Said Katniss. "Come on."

Yep. Lots of stares and gaping mouths pointed in her direction. "Just ignore them," Katniss told her prep team, who quietly followed behind her, their heads down.

They took a seat beside a group from 12. The people tried not to bother them. Some might give them a cautious "hello." But it was Posy, Gale's five year old sister, who really helped. She scooted over towards Octavia, and touched her skin with a tentative finger. "You're green. Are you sick?"

"It's a fashion thing, Posy. Like wearing lipstick." Katniss told her.

"It's meant to be pretty…" Octavia whispered.

Posy considered this. "I think you'd be pretty in any color."

Octavia smiled ever so slightly. "Thank you."

"If you really want to impress Posy, you'll have to dye yourself bright pink. " said Gale, thumping his tray beside Katniss's. "That's her favorite color." Posy giggled, and moved away.

After lunch, Gale and Katniss were scheduled to go down to Special Defense to meet with Beetee.

* * *

The Special Defense level was full of computers, labs, research equipment, and testing ranges. When they asked for Beetee, they were left through a maze until they reached an enormous plate-glass window.

But it was what was inside that caught Katniss's attention.

A meadow. Filled with real trees and plants and hummingbirds. Beetee sat in a wheelchair in the center of the meadow. He caught sight of them, and motioned for them to come inside.

"Aren't they magnificent?" Beetee asked the two as they approached. "Thirteen has been studying aerodynamics here for years. Forward and backward flight, and speeds up to a several miles per hour. If only I could build you wings like these, Katniss!"

"I doubt I could manage them, Beetee," Katniss laughed.

"Here one second, gone the next. Can you bring a hummingbird down with an arrow?" He asked.

"I've never tried. Not much meat on them." She replied.

"No. And you're not one to kill for sport. I bet they'd be hard to shoot, though."

"You could snare them maybe." Said Gale. "Take a net with a very fine mesh. Enclose an area and leave a mouth of a couple square feet. Bait the inside with nectar flowers. While they're feeding, slam the mouth shut. They'd fly away from the noise but only encounter the far side of the net."

"Would that work?" Asked Beetee.

"I don't know. Just an idea. They might outsmart it."

"They might. But you're playing on their natural instincts to for danger. Thinking like your pray… That's where you find their vulnerabilities."

A moment of silence followed.

"Beetee, Plutarch said you had something for me." Katniss broke it.

"Right, I do. Your new bow." He pressed a hand control on the arm of his chair, and rolled out of the room. As the two followed him, he explained about the chair. "I can walk a little now. It's just that I tire out so quickly. It's easier for me to get around this way. How's Finnick doing?"

"He's… He's having concentration problems." Katniss answered.

"Concentration problems, eh?" Beetee smiled grimly. "if you knew what Finnick's been through the last few years, you'd know how remarkable it is he's still with us at all. Tell him I've been working on a new trident for him, though, will you? Something to distract him a little." Katniss promised to pass on the message.

Check the schedules. Finger print. Retinal. DNA scans. Metal detectors. Lots of security just to enter a single door labeled _Special Weaponry._

Finally they were allowed to enter the room. The sight took Katniss's breath away.

Rows and rows of every weapon imaginable. But Katniss couldn't really imagine a bow to be among these.

Until they reached a wall full of seriously deadly archery equipment, that is.

"Gale, maybe you'd like to try out a few of these." Beetee told said person.

"Seriously?" Gale asked.

"You'll be issued a gun eventually for battle, of course. But it'll help you appear as part of Katniss's team. on the propos, one of these would look a little showier. I thought you might like to find one that suits you."

"Yeah, I would." Gale ran over and picked one up, and began pointing it around the room.

"I'll be right back." Said Beetee. He disappeared through a small doorway.

Beetee soon wheeled back in with a tall, black rectangular case and a blue and golden colored sword sheath (with the sword, of course) awkwardly positioned between his footrest and shoulders. He tilted the black case towards Katniss. "For you."

Katniss set the case on the floor, and undid the latches.

"Oh," Katniss whispered in admiration as she pulled out a stunning black bow. The elegant design. The curve of the limbs that somehow suggested the wings of a bird in flight. But there was something else. Maybe she was imagining it. No, it was real. The bow was _alive._

She pressed it against her cheek and felt the slight hum travel through her bones. "What's it doing?"

"Saying hello." Beetee grinned. "It heard your voice."

"It recognizes my voice?"

" _Only_ your voice. You see, they wanted me to design a bow based purely on looks. As part of your costume, you know? But I kept thinking, _What a waste._ I mean, what if you do need it sometime? As more than a fashion accessory? So I left the outside simple, and left the inside to my imagination. Best explained in practice, though. Want to try it out?"

"I do, but first, what's that?" Katniss pointed at the sword that Beetee still held.

"Ah, yes." Said Beetee. "We are all getting ahead of ourselves with daydreams. We are hoping that, when Link is rescued, if he is rescued, and he is willing to fight with us, this sword will be his to use." Beetee grasped the purple hilt of the sword, and placed the tip of the sheath on the ground. with one clean motion, he yanked the sword out, leaving the sheath on the floor. Beetee held the blade up. "It's like your bow, with the voice recognition and everything." he said.

Katniss examined it with awe. A beautifully crafted blade, with a lovely purple hilt, shaped similarly to the wings of a bird. On the blade was that same triangle pattern that was on Link's ocarina.

"Wow. This is Link's?" Katniss asked him.

"Yep. We even named it. Not a very creative name, that's for sure, but it's something."

"What is it?"

"It's called the Master Sword."

"The Master Sword?"

"That's right. It's super sharp, and well balanced. I'm sure that he would love it."

"So am I…" Katniss whispered. The sword was perfect for him. If only he was here to see it…

Memories flooded her mind as she remembered all that Link had done for her and Peeta. He was a kind soul. Kind and gentle yet fierce and deadly at the same time. Feral. Sad. He's done so much, yet asked for nothing in return. Strong. Pained. But a good friend.

And he was in trouble.

Captured. Tortured by the Capitol.

Katniss couldn't bear it. Her friends were dying. And Link was among them.

" _Come on!" He held his hand out to Peeta. Confusion settled in. "If you don't trust me, then you'll die either way! Come on!" he roared._

" _I don't like death."_

" _Relax, guys. It's me."_

" _Honestly, Katniss, sacrificing my life for you two has been my plan all along."_

When that quote hit her, it hit her hard. Link was willing to die… For her? For Peeta? Really?

"Katniss? You all right?" Beetee shook her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head. "Huh? Oh… Yeah. I'm fine." Said Beetee. "So, want try out you bow?

Target ranges. Arrows. Bows. Everything that Katniss would have wanted in that moment. She had razor sharp, incendiary, and explosive arrows to choose from. To deactivate her bow's special properties, all she had to tell it was "Good night," and then the bow would shut off.

* * *

Katniss was feeling very good by the time she returned to her prep team. They used makeup to make her look like she's been in recent battle. A scar here, a bloody bandage there. Her mockingjay pin resting over her heart. Her bow in hand, arrows on her back.

Then she had to stand on the soundstage for hours while they adjusted the makeup and lighting and smoke levels.

At last Plutarch said, "I think that does it."

Katniss was beckoned over to a monitor. They played back the last few minutes of taping, and she watched the woman on the screen. Her body was larger in stature. Her face smudged but sexy. Black brows angled in defiance. Wisps of smoke rose from her clothes. That couldn't possibly have been Katniss.

Finnick walked up from behind her. "They'll either want to kiss you, kill you, or be you."

Today they all just wanted to work on one slogan. One line that they could work into a short propo.

"People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!" That's the line. She had to pretend that she was just in a battle, her comrades-in-arms lying dead around her, and she turns to the camera and shouts the line!

Katniss was placed back in her position. Someone called for quiet, and the cameras started rolling. "Action!" Someone called.

Katniss held her bow over her head and yelled with all the anger she could muster, _"People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!"_

She silently added some lines of her own. _For Peeta! For Link!_

Dead silence on the set.

Finally the intercom crackled. Somebody's laughter filled the studio. Katniss recognized it.

Haymitch contained himself just long enough to say, "And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies."

* * *

Look at that! Haymitch is back. oh yeah, I FINALLY saw Mockingjay part 2 last night. It was AWESOME! :)


	39. Chapter 38

I'm not dead!

sorry to disappoint.

Well, what are you waiting for? Read on!

* * *

Zelda hugged the hero's journal tightly as she hurried up to Command. She hoped she wouldn't be kicked out-she wasn't supposed to be there. But she knew… If they could get Link back… and he would fight by Katniss's side… She needed to get these ideas to Command to style his armor.

Finally she reached the large door, and she knocked. Her heart thumped madly. What was she doing!? She shouldn't be here!

Her thoughts were interrupted when Plutarch opened the door. She saw his eyebrows rise in surprise.

Zelda cleared her throat quietly. "Um…" her voice was barely above a whisper. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything…but… I heard that you wanted some ideas for Link's armor. I've got some."

"Oh!" Plutarch exclaimed. "Sure! Come right on in!" He opened the door wider, allowing Zelda to step inside and look around.

There was a huge table in the center of the room with several people gathered around it. Zelda only recognized Coin, Finnick, Beetee in his wheelchair, Gale from meals, Haymitch, and Katniss.

Plutarch grabbed her a seat. She sat as he explained to the others why Zelda was there.

"Let's hear it then." Coin told her.

Zelda gingerly laid the hero's journal onto the surface of the table. "This journal once belonged to Link's ancestor, the hero, who fought the Capitol during the Dark Days." She said. "Some strange symbols were sketched into the pages. I thought that some of them might go well with the armor that you've designed for Link." Coin nodded at her to continue.

Zelda opened the pages and flipped through them until her eyes rested on the portrait of the hero. She made sure that everyone could see it before pointing at the symbol beside the portrait. "This might look familiar to you." Almost everyone else in the room nodded. They recognized it from the interview with Link when he was dressed as a wolf. He had the same pattern painted on this shoulder that night. "It's called a Triforce. This book explains a little about it. Whenever the symbol was looked upon, it was supposed to bring the hero to mind. Like it was _his_ symbol. Kind of like how Katniss has her mockingjay. I swear, Link practically has this hero living inside of him. I think it should be on him somewhere." To her delight, everyone at the table nodded and murmured in agreement. She flipped the pages again.

Zelda pointed at the strange symbol that suggested a bird in flight. (Hylian crest without the Triforce.) "I don't really know what this it, but the text says that there was something kind of like this painted on the hero's shield." Everyone nodded again.

Zelda continued flipping through and pointing at certain pictures, explaining to everyone about what they were.

"I could lend this to you to look through." Zelda shut the book. "But I couldn't live if it wasn't returned to me. It's… It's one of the few things that… it's one of the few things that I have to remember him. " Zelda looked down. She suddenly looked back up when Katniss placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Zelda. We'll get him back." She said. Zelda nodded, and turned to leave.

"You can stay, if you wish." Coin's voice called after her. Zelda stopped.

"Really?" Coin nodded. "Okay." Zelda sat back down.

Haymitch immediately started by showing everyone the footage that had just been shot. Zelda looked surprised to find a stronger, more threatening version of Katniss standing on the screen.

" _People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!"_ Katniss cried in the video. Zelda stared. It was amazing.

"All right." Said Haymitch when the footage finished. "Would anyone like to argue that this is of use to us in winning the war?" No one did. "That saves time. So, let's all be quiet for a minute. I want everyone to think of one incident where Katniss Everdeen genuinely moved you. Not where you were jealous of her hairstyle, or her dress went up in flames or she made a half decent shot with an arrow. Not where Peeta was making you like her. I want to hear one moment where _she_ made you feel something real."

A real long pause followed before someone spoke up. "When she volunteered to take her sister's place at the reaping. Because I'm sure she thought she was going to die."

"Good. Excellent example." Said Haymitch, pulling out a purple marker and scribbling on a notepad. "Volunteered for sister at reaping." Haymitch looked around. "Somebody else."

"When she sang the song. While the little girl died." said another man.

"Who didn't get choked up at that." Haymitch wrote it down.

"I cried when she drugged Peeta so she could go get him the medicine and when she kissed him good-bye!" blurted a woman with green skin. She suddenly covered her mouth.

Haymitch simply nodded. "Oh, yeah. Drugs Peeta to save his life. Very nice."

They all started pouring in. When Katniss took on Rue as an ally. When she tried to carry Mags. When she first handed the berries to Link. Love for Peeta. Defiance of the Capitol's inhumanity.

"So, the question is," said Haymitch, "what do they all have in common?"

Gale spoke. "They were all Katniss. No one told her what to do or say."

"Unscripted, yes!" Said Beetee. He patted Katniss's hand. "So we should leave you alone, right?"

People laughed.

"Well, that's all very nice but not very helpful." Said another woman in the room. "Unfortunately, her opportunities for being wonderful are rather limited here in Thirteen. So unless you're suggesting we toss her into the middle of combat-"

"That's _exactly_ what I'm suggesting," Haymitch interrupted. "Put her out in the field and just keep the cameras rolling."

"But people think she's pregnant," Gale pointed out.

"We'll spread the word that she lost the baby from the electrical shock in the arena. Very sad. Very unfortunate," said Plutarch.

Some agreed, some weren't so sure.

"Even if we're careful, we can't guarantee her safety." Said a man. "She'll be a target for every-"

"I want to go," Katniss interrupted. "I'm no help to the rebels here."

"And if you're killed?" Coin asked her.

"Make sure you get some footage. You can use that anyway," was her reply.

"Fine," said Coin. "But let's take it one step at a time. Find the least dangerous situation that she can evoke some spontaneity in you. Take her to Eight this afternoon. There was a heavy bombing this morning, but the raid seems to have run its course. I want her armed with a squad of bodyguards. Camera crew on the ground. Haymitch, you'll be airborne and in contact with her. Let's see what happens there. Does anyone have any other comments?"

"Wash her face." Said someone in the room. Zelda turned to him. "She's still a girl and you made her look thirty-five. Feels wrong. Like something the Capitol would do."

Everyone was dismissed. Zelda left the room silently, leaving the journal behind so the others could look at it.

She was about to walk to the dining hall, until Plutarch stopped her.

"Zelda, wait." He called after her. She obeyed, and turned to face him. He caught up.

"Zelda, thank you for lending us that book. I'm sure it will be of great use to us." Zelda nodded, smiling slightly.

Plutarch continued. "And, I'm sorry. I really am. I wish we could've gone back for him and the others, but it was just too dangerous." Zelda nodded again, her smile disappearing.

"No, it's okay. I understand," she told him. They stood silent for a few seconds.

"I never knew him, but I'm sure he was a great friend." Said Plutarch.

"He was more than that," said Zelda. "Much more."

Plutarch nodded.

"He was sweet and kind. Gentle. He always knew when something was wrong. He always knew how to make me feel better when times were rough. He'd play his ocarina for me."

"Were there times when he needed _your_ comfort?" Plutarch asked her.

"Oh, yes." Zelda replied. "He would have nightmares about the Games. He'd cry out. Whenever I heard that cry, I'd go up to him. Sing to him." She chuckled. "He'd fall asleep like a baby when it came down to that."

"Yeah," Says Plutarch. "Sounds like he was very special to you. You can go ahead to lunch, now." Zelda merely nodded, and went on her way.

* * *

She remained silent during her meal. She wasn't in a talking mood. She ignored her schedule, and simply headed for her room. Zelda fell onto her bed.

Talking about Link had lowered her spirits lately. People who tried to comfort her, were really only making her worse. They all said that they were sorry, but they didn't know what it felt like to lose someone they loved like that. The only people who could understand her pain were Katniss and Finnick. She's never spoken to Finnick. Katniss helped her a little, but it still wasn't enough. Only one person could possibly comfort her the way she needed to be comforted.

But that one person was why she needed the comforting in the first place.

He was gone.

Zelda wondered if Link would be different when the rebels finally got him back. He would've gone through more pain imaginable by the time Zelda would see him again. Would he be transformed into a new person? Would his warm, welcoming, and gentle soul become one that was cold, unforgiving, and hard? Zelda hoped with all her might that that wouldn't happen. She loved the man she knew. If he came back as a different person…

 _Stop it,_ Zelda thought to herself. She turned to her side, and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

You must read the following:

I realize that I just might finish this fic eventually. I need some ideas for a new Legend of Zelda or Super Smash Brothers story when I'm done. I came up with some other ideas, and put them on a poll that I set up on my profile. I need you all to vote on what you think I should write next. I'm also giving you permission to send in some more Ideas in your reviews. I would appreciate it greatly if you helped me out. Thank you!

Now that that's over with, I have one thing to say:

R&R


	40. Chapter 39

Yo.

I feel like this is being updated too soon. But, you never know

continue!

* * *

The quiet sound of a door sliding open reached his ears, accompanied by muted footsteps as they walked towards him.

He refused to open his eyes

"I admit… I'm quite disappointed." Said a cold, unforgiving voice.

President Snow.

Link couldn't stop himself from shivering slightly at the sound.

The president continued to talk to him.

"We've kept you here for… quite some time, really. Yet you haven't spoken a single word. That is, I must say, rude. Why do you refuse to speak to us?"

Naturally, Link remained silent.

"What is wrong with you victors? You don't understand the wealth that we've given you! You were all hungry, until we came in! You never starve. You live in a great house. Yet you never thank us. All I ask is for you to speak to me."

 _Never._ Thought Link.

Snow sighed. "Well, I guess it's not quite your words that we need at this moment."

… _What? What do you mean?_

"Soon, we are going to have to send some news out into the world. On television, of course. Now, we want our two _favorite_ victors to join us."

…

"I simply need you to play along with Peeta."

 _Peeta! Is he all right? If he isn't, I swear, I will-_

"-You need to agree with something that he has committed his beliefs to a few weeks ago."

 _Oh?_

"You must tell the world that there must be a cease-fire."

 _A cease-fire!? You're mad! I could never agree to that! Peeta… I know Peeta. He would never agree to that either! What have you done to him, you son of a-_

"-If you don't, then I can assure you we won't rest until you have agreed to do so."

Link took a deep breath. He had a question on his lips, but he remembered that he swore to himself not to speak to the president. So he didn't give a response at all. No nod. No shake of his head. Nothing.

The president stood silent as well, waiting for the victor to answer. But he didn't. Quietly, Snow made his way over to the switch. He pulled it down.

Snow watched as the young man clasped to the table struggled greatly against the shackles, screaming out in pain. The president smirked. He has seen this several times, but he always had fun when watching it.

 _This is what happens when little victors don't do what the boss wants._ Thought Snow in a rather playful voice. Reluctantly, he pushed the switch back up. The "little victor" collapsed out of exhaustion, panting heavily, sobbing quietly. He leaned his head back, mouth gasping for air. His eyes were still shut.

Snow chuckled. Link was surrendering.

He pulled the switch again.

Another cry arose from the man's lips. His hands balled into fists as he struggled helplessly.

 _Please… Stop… Somebody… Anybody…. Help me…_

 _Please…_

Snow pushed the switch up for a second time.

Again, Link repeated what he did the first time: collapsing and panting and sobbing.

"Soon you will prepared for the television. If you don't do as you are told, you will suffer greater pain than ever before." The president promised him. He stepped out of the room, leaving Link to his thoughts.

Link inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. The president wanted to use him against the rebels? Why him? Snow should have known that he wouldn't do what he asked.

" _If you don't do as you are told, you will suffer greater pain than ever before."_ Link replayed in his mind.

 _That's it._ He thought. _I don't care anymore. I won't do it. I won't do anything. He can beat me, electrify me, or tear me apart, but he won't get anything from me._

Link opened his eyes. He sniffed.

The door opened again.

Link's eyes shot towards the door, only to find an Avox stepping in. Link heard himself sigh in relief. It was his own Avox again. Link nodded to him politely, despite the pain that shot across his neck when he did so. He winced.

The Avox set a tray of food down, and laid a hand on Link's bare shoulder, asking with his eyes if he was all right. Link answered by sighing and leaning his head back, eyes closing again.

The Avox silently fed Link, and left.

Before he knew it, Link fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

 _Katniss. She was walking towards him. But in a way that made him uncomfortable. Slowly. Hands on hips. Not a way that Katniss would normally walk._

 _When she reached him, she smirked at his uneasiness, and placed a hand on his bare shoulder. It was cold._

" _I'm tired of fighting," She said to him. "Can't we go back to our old ways?"_

 _Her face suddenly burst into flames, hand still on his shoulder. The fire vanished as quickly as it came, but he found himself staring into not Katniss's face, but Zelda's. She still held that uncomfortable smirk. Her hand was still cold._

" _Hello, dear," She says. "You look quite… Unhappy."_

 _Zelda dropped her hand, dragging her fingers down his exposed torso, stopping it near the center of his abdomen, and holding it there. Her face was very close to his._

" _Still supporting the rebels?" Her smirk disappeared. "Pity"_

 _He said nothing as he felt Zelda's fingers lightly crawling their way back up his stomach, and onto his chest. His breathing quickened. What was going on?_

 _Zelda's fingers continued crawling up his body "I like you," she told him. "It's a shame that this… Beautiful body of yours has to go through all that… Pain and suffering." Her fingers stopped just beneath his chin._

 _Something didn't feel right. Zelda never exactly did stuff like that._

 _Zelda brought his face even closer to hers. She smirked again._

 _Suddenly, she grabbed her own face, and ripped it off. But there was yet another face underneath._

 _President Snow._

" _This is what happens when little victors don't do what the boss wants." He said in a playful, singsong voice._

"Ahh!" Link woke with a start, trying to sit up, but then remembering the shackles that prevented him from doing so. He laid back down.

His eyes were still wide. He didn't see that coming. Katniss and Zelda and… Snow. Curse that Snow.

He knew something was wrong as soon as he saw his two friends. They would never do stuff like that. Katniss wouldn't just give up, wishing to go back to what it was like before, would she? And Zelda…

Link shuttered. He loved Zelda romantically, and Zelda loved him the same way, Link knew. But the way she was touching him? Her fingers were cold on his bare skin, not warm, like Link knew them to be.

Seeing his friends like that brought absolutely zero comfort.

Who would've thought that a strong, courageous man who had gone to Hell and back would become terrified of his own nightmares?

* * *

rather short chapter, I know.

I still need people to vote on what I should write next! the poll is still up on my profile. It would really help me figure out what to do.

R&R plz!


	41. Chapter 40

I'm back!

* * *

"This won't work. I won't be good here."

Katniss and her crew were in District Eight. They all stood, looking up at the small, dirty building. It just so happened to be a hospital.

Well… It was a sorry excuse for a hospital.

Earlier that day, there had been a bombing in this district. The wounded were still being carried in.

Boggs walked up to Katniss, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You will. Just let them see you. That will do more for them than any doctor in the world could."

A woman who stood among the wounded caught sight of them, and strutted over.

"This is Commander Paylor of Eight," Boggs introduced. "Commander, Soldier Katniss Everdeen."

"Yeah, I know who she is," said Paylor. "You're alive, then. We weren't sure."

"I'm still not sure myself," Katniss replied.

"Been in recovery," Boggs tapped his head. "Bad concussion." He lowered his voice. "Miscarriage. But she insisted on coming to see your wounded."

"Well, we've got plenty of those," said Paylor.

"You think this is a good idea? Assembling your wounded like this?" Asked Gale.

"I think it's slightly better than leaving them to die." Came the reply.

"That's not what I meant," said Gale.

"Well, currently that's my other option. But if you come up with a third and get Coin to back it, I'm all ears." Paylor turned to Katniss. "Come on in, Mockingjay. And by all means, bring your friends."

Katniss glanced back at her crew, and followed Paylor in. They passed many dead corpses. White sheets laying over their faces. They reached a heavy curtain at the end of the room. Paylor opened it wide.

"Do not leave my side," Katniss told Gale, locking her fingers with his.

"I'm right here," he replied.

The wounded lie everywhere. On tables. On the ground. In rows. The place had a real bad stench to top it off. It was dark, with only some open skylights for light.

Katniss felt beyond uncomfortable. But she knew that people were counting on her. So she let go of Gale, and advanced further.

"Katniss?" A voice croaked from the left. "Katniss?" A hand reached out to her. Katniss clung to it. A woman with a wounded leg. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me," said Katniss.

The woman's face suddenly brightened with joy.

"You're alive! We didn't know. People said you were, but we didn't know!" Excitement was in her voice.

"I got pretty banged up, but I got better," Katniss told her. "Just like you will."

"I've got to tell my brother!" The woman sat up slightly. "Eddy! Eddy! She's here! It's Katniss Everdeen!"

A young boy a few beds down turned to them. Katniss approached him. The boy stared silently, as if trying to memorize every detail of her face.

The name _Katniss Everdeen_ spread like wildfire throughout the room. Voices called out for her. Hands reached for her. Katniss clasped every hand. Greeted them.

It was an amazing sight.

"Have you heard anything about Peeta?" "how is he?" "Will he be all right?" Katniss would answer with words of hope for a good future. People were truly devastated to learn about her miscarriage.

"What about Link? He's still your friend, right?" "I couldn't stand it if you never got to see him again." "I loved that man. He always seemed to understand you and Peeta very well."

Again, Katniss tried to answer positively. That was harder than she would have thought. She may have seen Peeta on television, but Link…

Never mind Link. Katniss had some people to see.

Boggs was right. Just the sight of her alive was enough to will everybody else to keep going.

All too soon, it was time to leave the hospital.

"You did great." Boggs told her.

Ah. Ahaha. Right.

"We got some nice stuff in there," said Cressida, the one in charge of Katniss's camera crew. Katniss had forgotten that she was being filmed.

"I didn't do much, really," says Katniss.

"You have to give yourself some credit for what you've done in the past," Boggs told her.

Katniss sank down to the ground. "That's a mixed bag."

"Well, you're not perfect by a long shot. But times being what they are, you'll have to do."

Gale say beside her. "I can't believe you let all those people touch you. I kept expecting you to make a break for the door."

"Shut up," Katniss laughed.

"Your mother is going to be very proud when she sees the footage."

"My mother won't even notice me. She'll be too appalled by the conditions in there." Katniss turned to Boggs. "Is it like this in every district?"

"Yes. Most are under attack. We're trying to get in aid wherever we can." Boggs stopped, listening to a voice in his earpiece.

"We're to get to the airstrip," Boggs finally said. "Immediately." He helped Katniss to her feet. "There's a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Asked Gale.

"Incoming bombers," came the reply. He reached behind Katniss's neck, and pulled Cinna's helmet over her head. "Let's move!"

Katniss followed the others, rather confused. The sky was perfectly normal.

Until the sirens began to screech.

A V-shaped formation of Capitol hoverplanes flew in, real low, right above them. The bombs began to drop.

Katniss was blown to the ground. Her leg and back hurt. She tried to get back up, but Boggs held her down.

"Katniss!" Came Haymitch's voice in her earpiece.

"What? Yes, what? I'm here!" Katniss replied.

"Listen to me. We can't land during the bombing, but it's imperative you're not spotted," Haymitch told her.

"So they don't know I'm here?"

"Intelligence thinks no. That this raid was already scheduled."

Plutarch's voice came through next. "There's a light blue warehouse three down from you. It has a bunker in the far north corner. Can you get there?"

"We'll do our best," Boggs replied.

"You've got maybe forty-five seconds to the next wave," said Plutarch.

They all started to run.

More bombs fell.

Everybody dropped. Gale threw himself on top of Katniss, providing her protection.

"You all right?" Asked Gale after the wave passed.

"Yeah. I don't think they've seen me. I mean, they're not following us."

"No," said Gale. "They've targeted something else."

"I know, but there's nothing back there but..."

Uh oh.

"The hospital!" Gale shot up. "They're targeting the hospital!" Gale shouted to the others.

"Not your problem," came Plutarch's voice. "Get to the bunker."

"But there's nothing there but the wounded!" Katniss burst.

"Katniss." The tone of voice that Haymitch was using suggested that he knew what she was going to do next. "Don't you even think about-!" Before he could finish, Katniss yanked the earpiece out and let it hang from its wire.

Katniss heard a machine gun firing from the roof of a warehouse across the ally. Before anyone could stop her, she bolted for an access ladder and began to climb it.

"Don't stop!" Came Gale's voice from behind her.

They reached the roof to find some rebels firing at the hover planes. They skidded toward some soldiers.

"Boggs know you're up here?" Paylor stood at their left.

"He knows where we are, all right."

Paylor laughed. "I bet he does. You been trained in these?" She lifted her gun.

"I have," Gale spoke up. "But I'd rather use my own weapons."

"Yes, we've got our bows." Katniss lifted hers up. "It's more deadly than it looks."

"It would have to be." replied Paylor. "All right. We expect at least three more waves. They have to drop their sight shields before they release the bombs. That's our chance. Stay low!"

"Better start with fire," said Gale.

Katniss nodded, and knocked a fire arrow.

Suddenly, another V-formation of planes dropped down.

"Geese!" Cried Katniss.

Gale understood. A system that they developed when it came to hunting during migrating season came into play. Katniss let her arrow fly into the wing of a plane, sending it spiraling. Unfortunately, it managed to catch its balance

"Good shot," Gale complimented.

"I wasn't even aiming for that one. I'd set my sights on the one in front of it. They're faster than we think."

"Fire is no good," said Gale. Katniss nodded, and pulled out an explosive-tipped arrow.

Katniss managed to take down the plane in the front, while Gale shot at a second one.

Then the third V-formation came about.

The point plane in this formation was immediately hit by one of Gale's arrows. Katniss shot the next one, causing it to spiral into the one behind it.

All of the planes were down.

"All right, that's it," said Paylor.

"Did they hit the hospital?" Asked Katniss.

"Must have," Paylor muttered.

They hurried down the ladder. Cressida, at the bottom, suddenly waved her toward the hospital yelling, "I don't care, Plutarch! Just give me five more minutes!"

Katniss took off.

The hospital was burning, and the roof crushed. "Oh, no," Katniss whispered. She knew that there were no survivors.

"Come on, Katniss. Haymitch says they can get a hovercraft in for us now," Gale said from behind her.

"Why would they do that? Why would they target people who were already dying?" She asked.

"Scare others off. Prevent the wounded from seeking help," Gale told her. "Those people you met, they were expendable. To Snow, anyway. If the Capitol wins, what will it do with a bunch of damaged slaves?"

Katniss turned to find Cressida with the camera crew. "Katniss," she said. "President Snow just had them air the bombing live. Then he made an appearance to say that this was a way of sending a message to the rebels. What about you? Would you like to tell the rebels anything?"

"Yes," Katniss whispered. She noticed the cameras pointing at her. "Yes," she said again with force. Everyone stepped back to give her space. "I want to tell the rebels that I am alive. That I'm right here in District Eight, where the Capitol just bombed a hospital full of unarmed men, women, and children. There will be no survivors." Katniss was angry now. "I want to tell people that if you think for one second the Capitol will treat us fairly if there's a cease-fire, you're deluding yourself. Because you know who they are and what they do." Her arms shot up. " _This_ is what they do! And we must fight back!"

Katniss advanced toward the camera. "President Snow says he's sending us a message? Well, I have one for him. You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground, but do you see that?" She pointed at the plane wreakage that were still burning from being shot down. "Fire is catching!" She shouted. "And If we burn, you burn with us!"

Seconds passed in silence.

"Cut!" Said Cressida. She nodded to Katniss. "That's a wrap."

* * *

So, there's the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!

I'll try to post the next one up soon!

And thank you everyone who even bothered to read/favorite/follow/reveiw my story! Thanks for bearing with me!

R&R plz!


	42. Chapter 41

I know that this is very early, but sometimes being sick has its benefits.

read on!

* * *

He was no longer cuffed to his table or chained to the ceiling.

Now he was restrained to a chair.

Link's wounds have been bandaged. Some medicines were helping them to heal. The Capitol hadn't touched him in any painful ways recently.

Stylists came and went. They would approach his chair, and use makeup to cover any scars or marks on his face, neck, and forearms. They didn't trust Link to stay in his chair while they did this, hence the chains.

He was being prepped for the television. He was going to appear in front of the entire nation of Panem. He was going to do it with Peeta. And he was supposed to call for a cease-fire.

Just like Peeta.

But the thing is, Link never told them that he truly was going to call for a cease-fire. The Capitol just assumed that he would. Which was stupid of them.

Incredibly stupid.

Never in a million years would Link call for a cease-fire. He already knew what he would do once the camera started rolling.

Nothing.

Nada.

Silent.

Zip.

Zero.

Nothing.

Oh, he would pay dearly for it, he was sure. But he didn't care anymore. They could do whatever they wanted to him, but he wouldn't budge.

Two guards entered the room, along with another stylist. The guards unlocked his chains, then forced him to his feet. Link stumbled, still not able to stand well. He fell to the ground, landing on his arms with a loud grunt. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a guard raise his arm as if to strike him. Link winced. But then he saw the other guard catch his arm just before it came crashing down, and shake his head. The arm was lowered with a growl. Instead, he bent over, grabbed Link harshly by the arm, and jerked him back up. Link somehow managed to stay upright.

The stylist who had entered the room was carrying with him a dark green business suit. He instructed Link to take off what little clothes he was wearing, and put on the outfit.

Link hesitated, but obeyed silently. The suit clearly wasn't made to be comfortable. It itched all around. He tried hard not to scratch in front of the people there. The stylist nodded in approval. He would wear the suit on television tomorrow.

Link was told to take it off. He did so willingly, and put his pants back on.

The guards pulled him out of the room, and down a few hallways before they came to stop at a door. The door slid open automatically. The guards shoved him in, pushing Link to the ground, and left, the door sliding closed behind him.

Link sighed.

"Link?" someone startled him.

Wait a second… That voice! It was so...familiar. In a wonderful way. Like the voice of a friend he hadn't heard for a long time. A _real_ long time. In fact...

Link's head rose. Sure enough, there he stood. Like Link, he also wore few clothes, and there were bandages wrapped around his body. He had fewer bandages than Link did, though. He was thin from hunger, and bags were under his eyes. A nervous tremor was visible in his hands.

"Peeta!" Link cried. He struggled to stand. Peeta ran over, and helped him up. Once he was standing, Peeta grabbed I'm in a fierce hug, like as if Link was his last hope and life. Link gratefully held on.

They stood there, clasping each other for a few minutes. Peeta finally let go.

"I can see through the makeup," he told Link. "You look awful."

"I think I can say the same for you." Link replied. "What happened to you? What did they do to you?"

Peeta shrugged.

Link shook his head, sighing. Then he spoke. "I heard you're calling for a cease-fire."

Peeta also sighed. "I don't want to." He whispered. "I really don't. But… They gave me no choice."

Link nodded understandingly.

Peeta looked down at his own torso. Scratched up. Dry blood. Rather dirty bandages. Thin. Then his eyes flipped over to his friend's torso. Really scratched up. Also thin. Some fresh blood. Bandages that would need to be changed soon.

"Never mind me," said Peeta. "What did they do to you?"

"..." Link hesitated. "Electrical shocks. Beatings. Things like that," he finally said. Peeta nodded. He looked like he was going to say something, but then he stopped himself.

Link just then seemed to lose all strength in his legs, and sank slowly to the ground. Peeta caught him, and half dragged him over to the wall. Link leaned his head back as he sighed. Peeta sat down beside him. They sat in silence until Peeta spoke up.

"Are you going to call for the cease-fire with me?" He asked.

"No," said Link. "I'll be on television with you. But I refuse to call for a cease-fire."

Peeta stared at him. "But then they'll-"

"-I don't care what they'll do to me," Link cut him off. "I've been through a lot, but that doesn't mean I can't go through more. I'll have to deal with it."

"But what if I don't want any more to come to you?" Peeta argued. "You're my friend, Link! You've saved my life more than once! And I have no way to repay you! Please, just do what they want." When Link said nothing, Peeta knew his words weren't going to turn him around. He sighed in defeat.

A drawer like thing suddenly slid from the wall. Peeta stood, and walked over to said drawer. He reached inside it, and grabbed two trays, carrying them over to Link. The drawer shut automatically.

Peeta sat back down with the trays. He handed one to Link. It held some not-very-decent food. But this didn't matter to Link. He was hungry. He just dug right in.

Once he and Peeta finished the meal, two more guards stepped into the room.

"Peeta has to be on television tonight as well," said one of the guards. "Then we'll get the two of you ready for the show in two days." The other guard grabbed Peeta, and pulled him out of the room. The door slid shut.

Link was alone.

About fifteen minutes later, a chuck of the wall suddenly lit up, like a TV. And there sat Caesar Flickerman. Link watched the camera pull back to reveal his guest.

Peeta, groomed and dressed, sat next to Caesar. His fingers twitched nervously.

He and Ceasar had a few empty exchanges. Then Ceasar asked him about the rumors that Katniss was taping propos for the districts.

"They're using her, obviously," Peeta replied. "To whip up the rebels. I doubt she even really know what's going on in the war. What's at stake."

"Is there something you'd like to tell her?" Cesar asked him.

"There is." Peeta looked directly into the camera. "Don't be a fool, Katniss. Think for yourself. They've turned you into a weapon that could be instrumental in the destruction of humanity. If you've got any real influence, use it to put the brakes on this thing. Use it to stop the war until it's too late. Ask yourself, do you really trust the people you're working with? Do you really know what's going on? And if you don't… Find out."

National anthem. Seal of Panem. Show over.

The screen once again became part of the wall.

Another ten minutes later, Peeta was tossed back into the room.

The two friends stared at each other as Peeta stood.

Without a word, Link crossed over to Peeta. He held his hand out to him, willing to help his friend find sturdy ground. And not nessesarily in a physical way.

Instead of taking his hand, Peeta wrapped his arms around Link, and began to sob into his shoulder. Link remained silent as he comforted his friend.

There was to be another show to put on in a couple of days. They will have to be ready.

* * *

I have the next chapter up already too. The one after that should come pretty soon as well.

R&R plz!


	43. Chapter 42

See? told you I already had it up!

* * *

No longer in District Eight.

Now in District 12

Katniss and her crew were going to film some more propos of Katniss and Gale in the ruins of their home district. Starting with Katniss's childhood house.

"What do you want me to do?" Katniss asked Cressida.

"Whatever you feel like." Came the reply.

Well, Katniss didn't feel like doing anything. She just stood in her old kitchen, staring up at the sky. After a few minutes, Cressida decided it was time to continue.

Gale's house was next. The crew filmed him as he walked around the destroyed rooms, and pulled a twisted metal poker from the fireplace. Cressida began to question him about family, his life, his job, etc. She made Gale reenact the night of the firebombing.

By the time they reached the lake in the forest, everyone was exhausted and sweaty. Cressida called for a break.

Katniss sat next to Pollux, a member of the crew, and a former Avox, so that she wouldn't have to talk. No one was really talking, though. The mockingjays were the only ones who disrupted the silence. Katniss nudged Pollux, and pointed out a small black bird with a crown. Pollux turned toward her, and pointed at her mockingjay pin, eyebrows raised. Katniss nodded, confirming that it was a mockingjay. Pollux suddenly whistled a few notes. The bird answered him immediately. Back and forth. Pollux whistled. The mockingjay repeated. The sounds attracted yet more mockingjays. Pretty soon, six of them were perched on the branches.

Pollux turned to Katniss. He grabbed a twig, and wrote in the dirt with it. _SING?_

Well, Katniss couldn't exactly say no to Pollux. She found herself singing Rue's four note song from the first Games. The mockingjays picked it up, and began copying what they heard with their own voices.

"Want to hear them do a real song?" Katniss suddenly said. She stood, and laid her hand on a tree near by.

" _Are you, are you_

 _Coming to the tree_

 _Where they strung up a man_

 _They say who murdered three?_

 _Strange things did happen here_

 _No stranger would it be_

 _If we met at mid-_

 _Night in the hanging tree."_

The birds began to silence themselves, listening.

" _Are you, are you_

 _Coming to the tree_

 _Where dead man called out_

 _For his love to flee?_

 _Strange things did happen here_

 _No stranger would it be_

 _If we met at mid-_

 _Night in the hanging tree._

" _Are you, are you_

 _Coming to the tree_

 _Where I told you to run_

 _So we'd both be free?_

 _Strange things did happen here_

 _No stranger would it be_

 _If we meet at mid-_

 _Night in the hanging tree._

" _Are you, are you_

 _Coming to the tree?_

 _Wear a necklace of rope_

 _Side by side with me_

 _Strange things did happen here_

 _No stranger would it be_

 _If we met at mid-_

 _Night in the hanging tree."_

The birds remained silent, waiting for her to continue. But then finally, they began their rendition of "The Hanging Tree." Pollux had tears falling down his cheeks. Everyone was watching.

"Cut!" Cressida called.

Plutarch, who was with them this time, crossed over to Katniss. "Where do you come up with this stuff?" He laughed. "No one would believe it if we made it up!" He threw an arm around her shoulders. "You're golden!"

"I wasn't doing it for the cameras," said Katniss.

"Lucky they were on, then," he said. "Come on everybody, Back to town!"

Some more exploring. More taping. More questions. Finally Katniss announced, "I'm done. I'll meet you at the Victor's Village. Something for… My mother."

Next thing she knew, Katniss was sitting on the floor of her victor house. She stood, and grabbed some medicines from her cabinets. Bandages. Jars. The like.

When she turned, she found Gale standing in the doorway.

"Remember?" He said. "This is where you kissed me."

Katniss did remember. Very well, in fact. "I didn't think you'd remember that."

"Have to be dead to forget. Maybe even not then. Maybe I'll be like that man in 'The Hanging Tree.' still waiting for an answer." Gale had tears in his eyes. Katniss slowly walked over, and pressed her lips to his. When Gale pulled away, he gave a wry smile. "I knew you'd kiss me."

"How?"

"Because I'm in pain. That's the only way to get your attention." He picked up Katniss's box of medicines. "Don't worry, Katniss. It'll pass." He left.

Katniss rode the hovercraft back to 13 in silence. She went straight to bed upon arriving. After breakfast the next morning, she went to take a nap in the supply closet. By the time she came back around, It was dinnertime. She ate, then headed back to her compartment. But then Beetee intercepted her.

"There's a meeting in Command," he told her. "Disregard your current schedule."

"Done," said Katniss.

"Did you follow it at all today?"

"Who knows? I'm mentally disoriented. Why do they want me in Command? Did I miss something?"

"I think Cressida wanted to show you the Twelve propos. But I guess you'll see them when they air."

"That's what I need a schedule of. When the propos air."

Up in Command, Katniss took her seat between Finnick and Plutarch. The screens were already playing normal Capitol feed.

"What's going on? Aren't we seeing the Twelve propos?" Katniss asked.

"Oh, no," said Plutarch. "I mean, possibly. I don't know exactly what footage Beetee plans to use."

"Beetee thinks he's found a way to break into the feed nationwide," Finnick explained. "So that the propos will air in the Capitol, too. He's down working in Special Defense now. There's live programming tonight. I think it's starting."

Snow suddenly appeared, greeting the nation. The camera pulled back. Okay, there sat Peeta, sitting in an elevated chair in front of a projected map of Panem.

But the camera didn't stop there. Katniss was confused when the camera pulled back more than it would've needed, until it revealed the second guest that would be on television that night.

Katniss gasped along with Finnick when she caught sight of Link, sitting in a chair identical to Peeta's. He was clearly uncomfortable. Thin from hunger. Bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. His eyes were wild and angry. His long ears twitched slightly. His fingers were clasped together tightly at his lap. Katniss could see the obvious through his makeup and clothes. He was in great pain.

"Link…" Katniss whispered. Finnick grasped her hand. She clinged to it.

Peeta began to speak in a frustrated tone, telling the rebels about the need of a cease-fire. Link simply sat in his seat, letting him talk.

As Peeta spoke, parts of the map lit up, highlighting where damage had been done in the districts.

Peeta paused. Katniss could tell that the pause was a signal for Link to start talking. But he didn't. He just sat quietly in his seat, looking down, ears twitching. Peeta coughed, trying to get Link's attention. When Link still didn't speak, Peeta stuttered as he tried to say Link's lines for him.

 _Bam!_ Suddenly, Katniss found herself on television, standing in the rubble of the bakery.

"He did it!" Plutarch jumped up. "Beetee broke in!"

The room was practically throwing a mini party when Peeta and Link reappeared. Peeta was distracted after seeing Katniss on the monitor, but he tried to continue on. Katniss took a look at Link's face. His head was up now, eyes wide.

Another propo of Finnick talking about Rue replaced Peeta and Link.

Then the battle began.

Capitol. Propo. Capitol. Propo. Capitol.

Everybody in the room was cheering Beetee on. But only Katniss and Haymitch knew the truth. With every cheer, Peeta and Link were getting farther and farther away.

The Capitol seal appeared along with a flat audio tone. Twenty seconds later, Link, Peeta, and Snow appeared again. The set was in great confusion. Now both Link _and_ Peeta sat in silence, eyes wide. Snow spoke into the camera, saying that clearly the rebels were trying to disrupt the dissemination of information, but both truth and justice will reign. He asked Link and Peeta if they had any parting thoughts for Katniss Everdeen.

Peeta's face contorted in effort when he heard Katniss's name. "Katniss… How do you think this will end? What will be left? No one is safe. Not in the Capitol. Not in the districts. And you… In Thirteen…" he inhaled sharply. "Dead by morning!"

Snow's voice came off screen. "End it!" He said.

Katniss watched as Link suddenly gasped. He leaped off his chair. Beetee threw in three-second intervals of Katniss standing in front of the burning hospital. But between the shots was the real action. Peeta's attempt to continue speaking. Link pulling Peeta off his chair, motioning for him to run. The scuffle of feet. Link throwing himself in front of Peeta as if to protect him. The camera got knocked to the floor, recording the white tiles. "NOO!" Katniss heard Link cry out at the top of his lungs. Suddenly, there was the sickening sound of something heavy and sharp whacking a person. Link screamed in pain. There was another loud _WHACK!_ This time, Peeta cried out.

The floor that the fallen camera had been recording was suddenly coated with Link's and Peeta's blood.

* * *

That would be the end of part 1 in the book _Mockingjay._ stay tuned!

R&R plz!


	44. Chapter 43

Okay, I've actually written this chapter well in advance, but I had other things to worry about during the past week. It is still a short chapter, and I'm sorry.

Anyway, continue!

* * *

The metal rod with tiny spikes came crashing down again.

Link cried out. He could feel his warm blood stream down his back and collect into a pool on the white floor.

Peeta was collapsed in front of him. He also was getting beaten to a bloody pulp.

Another blow landed on Peeta's back.

"Peeta!" Link yelled. The rod fell again. More blood. "Argh! Peeta! Hold on!"

Link managed to drag himself over to Peeta. He placed his own body protectively over his friend's, preventing any more harm from coming his way. But it wasn't enough.

The sharp spikes dug into his back again. Link hissed loudly. He suddenly felt his arms being grabbed. He tried to fight back, but the pain was too much to bear. He just couldn't.

Link was yanked to his feet, and slammed against the wall. He could hear Peeta crying out. Link struggled to reach him, but he was weak.

So weak.

More hands grabbed a hold of him, dragging him out of the room. Link was snarling like a wild animal. Fighting.

He was tossed through the door. The door slid shut behind him.

Immediately Link lept to his feet, and slammed into the door. He pounded hard with his fists. "Peeta!" He shouted. "Peeta!"

Someone else's fist suddenly came crashing into the back of his head. It wasn't enough to knock him out, but it was enough to make him dizzy and collapse.

He was dragged through a series of hallways, and pulled through another door. By then Link had come back to his senses, and he began to fight again.

It was pointless. Before he knew it, his wrists and ankles were clasped to the surface of his old table. Link struggled, wiggling his limbs and slamming the back of his head against the table.

Finally it hurt so much that he was forced to stop.

He laid there for a good twenty minutes before someone entered his room. Three people, to be exact.

Two of the people appeared to be just your average torturers. The third man was President Snow himself.

And he did not look happy.

"You fool." Said Snow. "I warned you about what was going to happen if you didn't do what you were instructed to do. Yet you go right on ahead and don't do it.

"What's more, Peeta was not supposed to say that last line, 'dead by morning.' How did he know that we were going to attack Thirteen? Was it you who informed him?"

Link just did what he did best. He laid there quietly. But the truth was, he didn't know that the Capitol was going to attack Thirteen. But Link understood why Peeta said that. The rebels, including Katniss, must have seen the footage live on television. Peeta was warning them to get somewhere safe.

But how did Peeta know?

Snow growled.

"Why do you refuse to speak in front of me and the the cameras, while you will speak to Peeta to tell him to run?"

Silence.

"Very well." He said, smiling in a sly fashion. His voice was cold in a very unnerving way. "If you won't speak to me…" Snow chuckled slightly. "...then you won't speak at all."

The torturers advanced. They pulled out small knives.

That was when Link realized what they were planning to do to him.

* * *

Katniss sat in her bunker with her mother, and Prim. They had realized what Peeta's warning meant, and so everybody in Thirteen was in for a lockdown. Deep underground.

 _And you… In Thirteen… Dead by morning!_

The words echoed in Katniss's mind.

Coin's voice came over the audio system, thanking everyone for an exemplary evacuation of the upper levels.

Suddenly, the first bomb hit.

Peeta was right. The Capitol really was going to attack Thirteen.

The lights went out.

Katniss pulled herself over to Prim. "That was nothing like the bombs in Eight," said Katniss.

"Probably a bunker missile," Prim told her. "We learned about them during the orientation for new citizens. They're designed to penetrate deep in the ground before they go off. Because there's no point in bombing Thirteen on the surface anymore."

"Nuclear?"

"Not necessarily. Some just have a lot if explosives in them. But… It could be either kind, I guess."

Coin's voice came through again. "Apparently, Peeta Mellark's information was sound and we owe him a great debt of gratitude. Sensors indicate the first missile was not nuclear, but very powerful. We expect more will follow. For the duration of the attack, citizens are to stay in their assigned areas unless otherwise notified."

Soon, it was time for bed. Katniss was going to sleep with Prim on a mattress laid on the ground.

Well, there was nothing to do. "So, how are you liking Thirteen, Prim?" Katniss asked.

"Right now?" They both laughed. "I miss home badly sometimes. But then I remember that there's nothing left to miss anymore. I feel safer here. We don't have to worry about you. Well, not the same way." Prim smiled. "I think they're going to train me to be a doctor."

"Well, of course, they are. They'd be stupid not to."

"They've been watching me when I help out in the hospital. I'm already taking the medic courses. It's just beginner's stuff. I know a lot of it from home. Still, there's plenty to learn."

"That's great."

"What about you, Katniss? How are you managing? And don't say you're fine."

Katniss sighed. But it was true. So she went ahead and told her sister about Peeta and Link, their deterioration on screen, and how she thought that they could both be dying at that moment.

"Katniss, I don't think President Snow will kill Peeta and Link. If he does, he won't have anyone left you want. He won't have any way to hurt you."

Katniss realized that Prim was right. Peeta and Link was all she had left.

"So, what do you think they'll do to them?" Katniss asked.

"Whatever it takes to break you."

* * *

So there you go. I'm sorry to say that it's going to be several chapters before Link can come into the story again. Just a heads-up.

R&R plz!


	45. Chapter 44

Hullo! I finished the next chapter! hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Three days.

The Capitol had been launching bunker missiles at them for three days. It was like they were trying to keep everyone in lockdown for as long as possible instead of trying to kill them all.

While nothing was going on, Buttercup became a celebrity. A game that Katniss had once accidentally came up with made him that way. It includes the cat, and a flashlight. Buttercup, being a cat, would naturally chase the beam of light across the floor.

Katniss found it funny mostly because she thought it made him look stupid.

Everybody else in the bunkers needed some sort of entertainment, so they sat there and watched Buttercup as he ran after the light that he would never catch.

After the game, it was time for bed.

Unfortunately, Katniss was restless. She couldn't sleep.

Forget sleep. The nightmares will come back anyway.

Katniss left her mattress on the ground, and wandered silently around until she found Finnick. He sat under a small light in his space tying a rope, then untying it. Knotting. Undo. Knot it again. Undo it again. It was his way of keeping calm.

Katniss whispered to him about her discovery of Snow's plan to break her. But then she realized that this must be familiar and old news to Finnick.

"This is what they're doing to you with Annie, isn't it?" She asked him.

"Well, they didn't arrest her because they thought she'd be a wealth of rebel information," he replied. "They know I'd never have risked telling her anything like that. For her own protection."

"Oh, Finnick. I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. That I didn't warn you somehow."

"You did warn me, though. On the hovercraft. Only when you said they'd use Peeta and Link against me, I thought you meant like bait. To lure me into the Capitol somehow."

"I shouldn't have said even that. It was too late for it to be of any help to you. Since I hadn't warned you before the Quarter Quell, I should've shut up about how Snow operates." Finnick undid his rope again. "It's just that I didn't understand when I met you. After your first Games, I thought the whole romance was an act on your part. We all expected you'd continue that strategy. But it wasn't until Peeta hit the force field and nearly died that I-" Finnick hesitated.

"That you what?" Asked Katniss.

"That I knew I misjudged you. That you do love him. I'm not saying in what way. Maybe you don't know yourself. But anyone paying attention could see how much you care about him."

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"What about Link?" Katniss finally asked. "What do you see when I'm with him?"

"Friendship," Finnick answered. "Between him and you, anyone can see the friendship there. Between him and Peeta too. He is willing to do anything for those he loves. You two are on his list. That was obvious since the first Games."

"He didn't love us then."

"Oh, you have no idea. Well, you might have seen it in the three hour recap of those Games. He watched the two of you. I don't think he ever misjudged you, either. He knew your care for Peeta wasn't an act. And he was willing to die because of that."

Katniss remembered how Link kept his eyes on them since the training grounds. It was true. Link had watched and believed.

She curled her legs to her chest. "Snow's using Link to break me as well." Finnick glanced at her, and nodded.

"He's using Link to break me too," said Finnick. Katniss looked at him as he continued to speak. "I felt some sort of connection to him when we first began to trust each other." Finnick chuckled. "I had fun with him after you left with Johanna to put the wire into the big salt water lake thing. I challenged him to a random wrestling match. He's much tougher than he looks."

"Who won?"

"He did, of course. But yes. I began to love him as well. And now the Capitol has him _and_ Annie."

Another long silence passed before Katniss broke it again. "How do you bear it?"

Finnick looked at her in disbelief. "I don't, Katniss! Obviously, I don't. I drag myself out of nightmares each morning and find there's no relief in waking." He sighed. "Better not give in to it. It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart. The more you can distract yourself, the better. First thing tomorrow, we'll get you your own rope. Until then, take mine."

Katniss now sat on her mattress, making knots with the rope Finnick lent her. The rest of the night passed.

* * *

Somewhere else in the bunker, Zelda was also having difficulty sleeping. Nightmares had been plaguing her lately. But there was something about them… Something she didn't understand.

 _If you won't speak to me… Then you won't speak at all._

Zelda heard that line quite a few times in her nightmares. What made her extremely uncomfortable was that the voice that said it belonged to President Snow. Zelda didn't know who Snow could've been talking too. Herself? Maybe. The whole district of Thirteen? Possibly. But no matter how much she pondered over it, nothing seemed to fit.

And then there were some strange lights. There was something… Golden about them. But they didn't appear gold. They appeared… Green and blue. And they were powerful, too. There seemed to be one more, too. Only instead of light, it appeared as darkness. Like a dark cloud. And the darkness wasn't green or blue. It was red.

But the two golden lights...the blue and green ones… Zelda felt _connected_ to them in some way. Especially the blue one. The green light reminded her a great deal of Link, too.

In the dream, the red darkness was surrounding the green light. The blue light simply sat to the side.

Zelda watched as the green light started to be consumed by the darkness. But then suddenly, the green light shone brighter, chasing the darkness away.

But it wasn't enough. Not until a bright orange flame appeared out of nowhere. The flame and the green light fought the red darkness together. At this point, the blue light came in from the side, and fused itself with the green light. Together, the flame and the green and blue lights vanquished the red darkness.

And then the dream finished.

It almost felt like a vision. There had to be _some_ meaning in it all.

Maybe she should tell Katniss…

Nah. Katniss already has enough on her mind.

* * *

In the morning, Coin announced that everyone could finally leave their bunker. Their old quarters had been taken down by the bombings, so they were to follow exact instructions to find their new compartment. Everyone began to file out.

Katniss was almost immediately pulled to the side by Boggs. Gale and Finnick joined soon after.

Through the hallways, doors, and strange elevators they went, until they arrived at Special Defense. Coin, Plutarch, Haymitch, Cressida, and everyone else around a table in the center of the room looked exhausted.

"We need all four of you suited up and aboveground," Coin said. "You have two hours to get footage showing the damage from the bombing, establish that Thirteen's military unit remains not only functional but dominant, and, most important, that the Mockingjay is still alive. Any questions?"

Finnick did have a question. "Can we have a coffee?"

When she was given a mug of the stuff, Katniss remembered that she was not a fan of coffee, but then Finnick stirred some cream into her hot cup, and reached into the sugar bowl. "Want a sugar cube?" He asked in his old seductive voice. That was how Katniss and Finnick met. Finnick offering her a sugar cube before the chariot ceremonies. Katniss smiled at the memory. "Here, it improves the taste," Finnick's voice changed to how it truly sounded. He plunked three cubes into her cup.

In fifteen minutes, Katniss was already in her Mockingjay suit and outside. The fresh air felt wonderful.

"What day is it?" Katniss asked Boggs. She was told that September began the next week.

So, that would mean the Peeta and Link were with Snow for five to six weeks now. Katniss felt herself start to shake.

Woah, look at that. Very large crater in the middle of the forest, caused by a missile. That could've killed a lot of people.

"Can you rebuild it?" Gale asked.

"Not anytime soon. That one didn't get much. A few backup generators and a poultry farm," Boggs replied. "We'll just seal it off."

Okay, there go the trees. They were stepping out into the open.

"How much of an edge did the boy's warning give you?" Haymitch asked.

"About ten minutes before our own systems would've detected the missiles," replied Boggs.

"But it did help, right?" Asked Katniss.

"Absolutely. Civilian evacuation was completed. Seconds count when you're under attack. Ten minutes meant lives saved."

Cressida decided to film Katniss in front of the ruins of the old Justice Building. As they approached what used to be the entrance, Gale pointed. Everyone slowed down. Pink and red roses were littered on the ground. "Don't touch them!" Katniss yelled. "They're for me!"

The smell of the roses reached Katniss's nose. She gagged as she explained to the others what they meant. A crew came in and carted them away.

Cressida, Castor, and Pollux took their positions with the cameras. But Katniss didn't feel right. She couldn't take her mind off Peeta. She began to shake.

"So, what exactly do you need from me again?" She asked.

"Just a few quick lines that show you're alive and still fighting," said Cressida.

"Okay." She stared at the camera.

Uh….. Now what?

She still stared. "I'm sorry, I've got nothing."

Cressida approached her. "You feeling okay?" Katniss merely nodded. "How about we do the old Q-and-A thing?"

"Yeah, that would help, I think." Katniss crossed her arms and glanced at Finnick, who gave her a thumb's-up.

"So, Katniss," said Cressida. "You've survived the Capitol bombing of Thirteen. How did it compare with what you experienced in Eight?"

"We were so far underground this time, there was no real danger. Thirteen's alive and well and so am-" Katniss's voice suddenly stopped.

"Try the line again. 'Thirteen's alive and well and so am I.'"

Katniss took a deep breath. "Thirteen's alive and so-" she cut off again.

"Katniss, just this one line and you're done today. I promise. 'Thirteen's alive and well and so am I.'"

Katniss swung her arms. She put them on her hips, then dropped them again. She swallowed, and opened her mouth to speak.

Then she couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears flowed freely from her eyes.

She just couldn't do it. Peeta and Link were dying because she was the Mockingjay. The thought was too much to bear.

"Cut," said Cressida quietly.

"What's wrong with her?" Asked Plutarch under his breath.

"She's figured out how Snow's using Peeta and Link," said Finnick.

Everyone sighed. They all knew now. Why Katniss had cracked down suddenly. Their Mockingjay was broken.

Katniss reached for Haymitch, because he loves Peeta too. And he appeared, comforting her. "It's okay. It'll be okay, sweetheart." He sat her down on a broken pillar and held her while she sobbed.

"I can't do this anymore."

"I know."

"All I can think of is-what he's going to do to Peeta-and Link-because I'm the Mockingjay!"

"I know."

"Did you see? How weird they acted? What are they-doing to them?" Katniss gasped between sobs. "It's my fault!"

A needle poked into her arm, and she went out.

A whole day passed before Katniss came to. Haymitch looked exhausted when she caught sight of him beside her bed. Then she remembered her friends who were trapped in the Capitol, and began to tremble again.

Haymitch squeezed her shoulder. "It's all right. We're going to try to get Peeta and Link out."

…?

"What?" Katniss asked.

"Plutarch's sending in a rescue team. He has people on the inside. He thinks we can get Peeta and Link back alive."

"Why didn't we before?"

"Because it's costly. But everyone agrees this is the thing to do. It's the same choice we made in the arena. To do whatever it takes to keep you going. We can't lose the Mockingjay now. And you can't perform unless you know Snow can't take it out on your friends." Haymitch offered her a glass of water. "Here, drink something."

Katniss sat up and did so. "What do you mean, costly?"

He shrugged. "Covers will be blown. People may die. But keep in mind that they're dying every day. And it's not just Peeta and Link; we're getting Annie out for Finnick, too."

"Where is he?"

"Behind that screen, sleeping his sedative off. He lost it right after we knocked you out." Katniss couldn't help but smile slightly. "Yeah, it was a really excellent shoot. You two cracked up and Boggs left to arrange the mission to get the captured victors. We're officially in reruns."

"Well, if Boggs is leading it, that's a plus," said Katniss.

"Oh, he's on top of it," said Haymitch. "It was volunteer only, but he pretended not to notice me waving my hand in the air. See? He's already demonstrated good judgement."

This wasn't a good sign. The way Haymitch was acting, trying to cheer Katniss up. He was trying too hard. Harder than he normally would.

"So who else volunteered?" Katniss asked him.

"I think there were seven altogether."

...yup. This is bad. He didn't answer her question, like he was avoiding something.

"Who else, Haymitch?" Katniss insisted.

Haymitch finally dropped it. "You know who else, Katniss. You know who stepped up first."

And she did.

Gale.

* * *

So thr u go! I've already started writing the next chapter.

R&R plz!


	46. Chapter 45

I know, I know. really early. But I couldn't help myself! I love to write no matter how sucky it ends up.

I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

 _Today I might lose all three of them._

Katniss tried to imagine a world where Peeta, Link, and Gale had all vanished from the world. Still. Unmoving. Katniss was having one last look at their bodies before she left. But when she does, all she found was a pale gray nothingness. That was her future.

"Do you want me to have them sedate you until it's over?" Haymitch asked her. He wasn't kidding.

"No," Katniss replied. "I want to go to the Capitol. I want to be part of the rescue mission."

"They're gone," Haymitch told her.

"How long ago did they leave? I could catch up. I could…" what? What could she do?

"It'll never happen," Haymitch said, shaking his head. "You're too valuable and too vulnerable. There was talk of sending you to another district to divert the Capitol's attention while the rescue takes place. But no one felt you could handle it."

"Please, Haymitch! I have to do something. I can't just sit here waiting to hear if they all died. There must be something I can do!"

"All right. Let me talk to Plutarch. You stay put." Haymitch left the room.

Ten seconds later, Katniss stumbled out of her bed. She opened a dividing curtain to find Finnick laying on his stomach in his own bed. Katniss had to speak to him. She shook him awake.

Katniss explained the situation to him.

"Don't you see, Katniss, this will decide things. One way or the other. By the end of the day, they'll either be dead or with us. It's… It's more than we could hope for!" Finnick told her.

The curtain slid open, revealing Haymitch on the other side. He told them that they still needed post-bombing footage of Thirteen, and the two of them could do it if they were up for it. "If we can get it in the next few hours, Beetee can air it leading up to the rescue, and maybe keep the Capitol's attention elsewhere."

"Yes, a distraction," agreed Finnick. "A decoy of sorts."

"Oh, yeah. We were going to ask Zelda if she wanted to join us. I would think she wanted to help the rebles rescue the victors as well, if it means saving Link. What we really need is something so riveting that even President Snow won't be able to tear himself away. Got anything like that?"

Katniss thought over it while being prepped. She came up with something… Wasn't quite sure it would work.

Oh, well. Worth a shot.

Aboveground now. Zelda had joined Finnick and Katniss willingly. She too wanted to help with the distraction.

Katniss asked Cressida if she could ask herself about Peeta. Katniss sat on a broken pillar, waited for the camera, and now for Cressida's question.

"How did you meet Peeta?" She asked.

"When I met Peeta, I was eleven years old, and I was almost dead." Katniss described that day to the camera. She was trying to sell Prim's old baby clothes in the rain. She was starving. She was searching the bakery's garbage. Peeta, just a boy then, saw this. He knew that his mother wouldn't let him take bread out of the house, so he burnt two loaves, knowing that his mother would beat him for it. He was told to throw the bread to the pigs, now that it was burnt. Peeta went out, fed one of the loaves to the pigs, but tossed the other to where Katniss sat.

Meeting Peeta was a miracle that saved her life.

"We had never even spoken. The first time I ever even talked to Peeta was on the train to the Games."

"But he was already in love with you." Said Cressida.

"I guess so." Katniss smiled slightly.

"How are you doing with the separation? Not just Peeta, but with Link too."

"Not well. I know at any moment Snow could kill them both. Especially since Peeta warned Thirteen about the attack, and since Link not only refused to speak when he was supposed to, but he tried to protect Peeta after the warning was out. It's a terrible thing to live with. But because of what they're putting them through, I don't have any reservations anymore. About doing whatever it takes to destroy the Capitol. I'm finally free." Katniss gazed upwards, watching a hawk soar by. "President Snow once admitted to me that the Capitol was fragile. At the time, I didn't know what he meant. It was hard to see clearly because I was so afraid. Now I'm not. The Capitol's fragile because it depends on the districts for everything. Food, energy, even the Peacekeepers that police us. If we declare our freedom, the Capitol collapses. President Snow, thanks to you, I'm officially declaring mine today."

Everybody loved it. The whole explanation seemed to get Plutarch thinking. Coming up with more ideas. He pondered over his thoughts as Zelda was being filmed.

"So, Zelda," said Cressida after the cameras started rolling. "Everybody has seen how Link feels for you. But what about you? How do you feel about him?"

"Oh, there's lots of things I feel for him," Zelda replied. "Love. Pity. All sorts of things that I can't name. So on and so forth."

"How did you meet him?"

"Well…" Zelda thought. "He just seemed lonely at school. I mean, a kid's got to have a friend, right? So I decided to step up and be that friend for him."

Cressida nodded. "how did you feel when Link got reaped again for the Quarter Quell?"

"Awful. I began to cry as soon as I heard his name called. I don't know if someone managed to record it on camera, but I ran right up to him while he was being pulled away. I shoved his ocarina into his hands. I kissed him. I stood there sobbing long after he had left.

"Then there was the Quarter Quell itself. I was glad to see that he had allied with Katniss and Peeta again. But I knew that I would probably never see him in person again. Link is very protective of Peeta and Katniss. I couldn't blame him for that. I understood.

"But then he got captured. I don't know what they are doing to him. I still don't know if I'll ever see him again. But I do know that Link is strong. If he is fighting to live, he probably could."

Now that that was done, Plutarch beckoned Haymitch and Finnick over. He explained his ideas to them. Haymitch didn't seem to happy about it, but Finnick decided that, yes, he should do what Plutarch suggested.

"You don't have to do this," Haymitch told him.

"Yes, I do. If it will help her," came the reply. Finnick took Katniss's seat in front of the camera. "I'm ready."

Katniss didn't know what to expect. But whatever it was she _was_ expecting, it certainly wasn't this.

"President Snow used to… Sell me… My body, that is," Finnick started. "I wasn't the only one. If a victor is considered desirable, the president gives them as a reward or allows people to buy them for an exorbitant amount of money. If you refuse, he kills someone you love. So you do it.

"I wasn't the only one, but I was the most popular. And perhaps the most defenseless, because the people I loved were so defenseless. To make themselves feel better, my patrons would make presents of money or jewelry, but I found a much more valuable form of payment: secrets. And this is where you're going to want to stay tuned, President Snow, because so very many of them were about you. But let's begin with some of the others.

Secrets. Secrets. Secrets. So many of them. Dark. Betrayal. Greed. Bloody. Backstabbing. Blackmail. And all of this came from the mouth of Finnick Odair. No one could tear away. They all waited to hear about the secrets of President Snow. What else did Finnick figure out?

"And now, on to our good President Coriolanus Snow," said Finnick. "Such a young man when he rose to power. Such a clever one to keep it. How, you must ask yourself, did he do it? One word. That's really all you need to know. _Poison."_ Finnick went back to when Snow first became president, and worked his way up to the present. Mysterious deaths of Snow's adversaries. And sometimes his allies who had the potential to become threats. People dropping dead. People vanishing. Snow drank from the poisoned goblet himself to deflect suspicion. He took antidotes, but they didn't completely work. So he used the scent of rose to cover up the scent of blood. The scent of blood that rested in his mouth from the sores that the poison gave him.

Poison.

When Finnick had finished the camera kept rolling, waiting for him to continue. "Cut," Finnick finally said.

Plutarch led Finnick away to chat. Katniss stood by Haymitch, and Zelda stood off to the side.

"Is that what happened to you?" Katniss asked Haymitch, wondering if Haymitch's loved ones were dead because he refused to be sold to people in the Capitol.

"No. My mother and younger brother. My girl. They were all dead two weeks after I was crowned victor. Because of that stunt I pulled with the force field. Snow had no one to use against me."

"I'm surprised he didn't just kill you."

"Oh, no. I was the example. The person to hold up to the young Finnicks and Johannas and Cashmeres. Of what could happen to a victor who caused problems. But he knew he had no leverage against me."

"Until Peeta and I came along…" said Katniss.

Zelda slowly approached them. "What now?" She asked softly.

"Well," said Haymitch. "Now we wait."

They all made their way back underground. Zelda left silently. Katniss and Finnick tried to pass the time in Special Defense. Just do stuff.

15:00. The designated hour. Head up to a room full of computers. Watch Beetee and his team at work. Send the just-taken footage to air. Send it to television everywhere. Including the Capitol.

"Let it go!" Said Beetee. He mopped his face with a wet cloth. "If they're not out of there by now, they're all dead." He spun around in his chair to face Katniss and Finnick. "It was a good plan, though. Did Plutarch show it to you?"

Nope. Beetee led them into another room, and showed them how they were going to attempt, and has already by now attempted, to get the victors out of some underground prison. Knockout gas. Power failure. Disruption of broadcast. There you go. Free plan to get freedom.

"Like your electricity trap in the arena?" Katniss asked him.

"Exactly. And see how well that worked out?" Said Beetee.

 _Well… Not really._

Finnick and Katniss tried to wait some more in Command. But they got kicked out because of serious war business. The two refused to leave Special Defense, so they ended up waiting in the hummingbird room.

Waiting. Make knots with the rope. Continue to make knots. More knots. Don't eat. Keep your mind off of Peeta, Gale, and Link. Don't think of Annie. Knots. Finnick finally gave up, and curled into that position he was in for the jabberjay attack in the arena.

"Did you love Annie right away, Finnick?" Katniss asked him.

"No," was the reply. A few moments later, "She crept up on me."

Hours pass in silence.

The door opened. There stood Haymitch. "They're back. We're wanted in the hospital." Katniss opened her mouth to ask some questions, but was stopped by a, "that's all I know."

Finnick started acting strange, like as if he froze on the spot, so Katniss took his hand and led him to the hospital. Hallways. Left. Right. And finally, he hospital doors.

* * *

The whole place was in a great uproar. Doctors shouting. Beds pushed around on wheels. Doors slamming.

One bed nearly ran into Katniss. In it was an unconscious young woman with a shaved head. Scabs and scars. Blood.

Joanna Mason. Still alive.

Katniss looked around. She glimpsed Gale through a doorway, stripped from the waist up. A doctor was using tweezers to get something out from beneath his shoulder blade. But he was still alive.

"Gale!" Katniss called, but a nurse pushed her back and shut her out. She looked around again.

There's another bed with an unconscious young man passing her. Blood leaked rather heavily out of his slightly open mouth. Large scrapes across his bare torso. Deep cuts reaching down his arms. Face twisted in pain. But still alive.

"Link!" Katniss gasped. She reached a hand to him as he passed, managing to let her fingers graze him from the neck down before he was out of reach. She watched as the woman pushing his bed turned a corner, and vanished.

"Finnick!" A young woman with dark hair and sea-green eyes ran toward them in nothing but a bedsheet. "Finnick!" Finnick turned immediately, and ran to her. They collided, lost their balance, and slammed into a wall. That's where they remained, holding each other.

So this was Annie. Finnick's lover.

Boggs came about. "We got them all out. Except Enobaria. But since she's from Two, we doubt she's being held anyway. Peeta's at the end of the hall. The effects of the gas are just wearing off. You should be there when he wakes.

 _Peeta._

 _Peeta!_

 _Alive!_

Haymitch was grinning. "Come on, then," he said.

Katniss was grinning right beside him. She ran straight to the room. Now just outside the door. Peeta was simply on the other side.

That's it. Just one more door to walk through. One more door, and they'll be together again.

Katniss entered Peeta's room. He was already awake, surrounded by doctors. But then he saw her, and swept the doctors aside.

He was alive.

Peeta stood from where he sat, and advanced toward Katniss, hand outstretched, ready to caress her face.

Katniss ran to him. She was about to say his name.

But then Peeta's fingers tightly wrapped around her throat.

* * *

I know, I know. we only got to see Link for five seconds flat. but don't worry. I'll explain what happened in the next chapter.

R&R plz!


	47. Chapter 46

Okay, first, I have to tell you to read Zelda's dream again in what I call chapter 44. I made some changes because I realized that it might (might) get in the way of other plot ideas I was given from fans.

* * *

Snow gazed down at his hands, which lay on his desk, clamped into the shapes of fists.

 _How?_ He thought. _How did they escape? How did I fail?_

 _No… That's not the real question._

 _The real question is… How did_ it _fail me?_

He stared at the back of his right hand. The strange birthmark. That strange but powerful birthmark.

 _How did it fail me?_

* * *

Peeta's been hijacked.

 _Peeta's been hijacked._

Katniss sat in her bed in the hospital. She was freezing. Some cold collar the doctors put on her neck to keep her alive.

Prim placed another blanket over Katniss. "I think they'll take the collar off soon, Katniss. You won't be so cold then."

She was right. The doctors soon arrived, and removed the freezing collar. Katniss lie down as instructed, not moving her neck. Then Plutarch, Haymitch, and Beetee all entered, and ushered the doctors out. Prim was allowed to stay.

"So, Katniss, Peeta's condition has come as a shock to all of us," started Plutarch. "We couldn't help but notice his deterioration in the last two interviews. Obviously he'd been abused, and we put his psychological state down to that. Now we believe something more was going on. That the Capitol has been subjecting him to a rather uncommon technique known as hijacking. Beetee?"

"I'm sorry," said Beetee, "but I can't tell you all the specifics of it, Katniss. The Capitol's very secretive about this form of torture, and I believe the results are inconsistent. This we do know. It's a type of fear conditioning. The term _hijack_ comes from an old English word that means 'to capture,' or even better, 'seize.' We believe it was chosen because the technique involves the use of tracker jacker venom, and the _jack_ suggested _hijack_. You were stung in your first Hunger Games, so unlike most of us, you have firsthand knowledge of the effects of the venom.

"In sure you remember how frightening or was. Did you also suffer mental confusion in the aftermath?" Beetee asked. "A sense of being unable to judge what was true and what was false? Most people who have been stung and lived to tell the tale about it report something of the kind."

Yep. That's it. Katniss remembered.

"Recall is made more difficult because memories can be changed." Beetee tapped his forehead. "Brought to the forefront of your mind, altered, and saved again in the revised form. Note imagine that I ask you to remember something-either with a verbal suggestion or by making you watch a tape of the event-and while that experience is refreshed, I give you a dose of tracker jacker venom. Not enough to induce a three-day blackout. Just enough to infuse the memory with fear and doubt. And that's what your brain puts in long-term memory."

"Is that what they've done to Peeta?" Asked Prim. "Taken his memories of Katniss and distorted them so they're scary?"

Beetee nodded. "So scary that he'd see her as life-threatening. That he might try to kill her. Yes, that's our current theory."

Katniss covered her face silently with her arms. It wasn't possible. Peeta couldn't have forgotten that he loved her.

"But you can reverse it, right?" Prim asked.

"Um… Very little data on that," Plutarch told her. "None, really. If hijacking rehabilitation has been attempted before, we have no access to these records."

"Well, you're going to try, aren't you?" Prim asked again. "You're not just going to lock him up in a padded room and leave him to suffer?"

"Of course we'll try, Prim," said Beetee. "It's just, we don't know to what to what degree well succeed. If any. My guess is that fearful events are the hardest to root out. They're the ones we naturally remember the best, after all."

"And apart from his memories of Katniss, we don't know what else has been tampered with," said Plutarch. "We're putting together a team of mental health and military professionals to come up with a counterattack. I, personally, feel optimistic that he'll make a full recovery."

"Do you?" Asked Prim. "And what do _you_ think, Haymitch?"

Katniss glanced through her arms at Haymitch. "I think Peeta might get somewhat better. But… I don't think he'll ever be the same." Said Haymitch. Katniss closed her arms again.

"At least he's alive," said Plutarch. "Snow executed Peeta's stylist and his prep team live on television tonight. We've no idea what happened to Effie Trinket. Peeta's damaged, but he's here. With us. And that's a definite improvement over his situation twelve hours ago. Let's keep that in mind, all right?"

Plutarch continued to try to cheer Katniss up. It backfired completely. The information Plutarch was giving about murders was not helping in the slightest. Katniss suddenly couldn't breathe again because her attempt to hold back tears was making her throat throb. They had to sedate her again.

* * *

For a couple of days, Katniss lay on her bed silently. Her mother and sister would nurse her. People came in to update her on Peeta's condition. Visitors arrived.

One of said visitors was Zelda.

The blond girl simply walked in and sat on the stool that had been placed by Katniss's bed. Katniss's eyes widened slightly when she caught sight of her. She wasn't expecting Zelda to come.

Zelda attempted to smile at her. But Katniss could see through it. Something had happened. Zelda's eyes were slightly puffy from crying. Katniss wanted to ask, but she was instructed not to speak while her neck was healing.

Zelda placed a hand on top of Katniss's. "I'm sorry," she said. "About Peeta, I mean. I'm sure that was painful for you to hear about…" Katniss's expression must have stopped her. Zelda cleared her throat quietly, not knowing what else to say. "are you feeling any better?" She finally asked, changing the subject. Katniss nodded slightly. Zelda also nodded. "I'm glad to hear that."

Katniss looked curiously up at Zelda. She tapped her own eyelid, trying to ask the question on her mind without the use of words. Zelda seemed to understand.

"'What's wrong?' Is that what you're asking?" Katniss nodded. "Um…" Zelda looked down. Katniss could see tears forming in her eyes. "It's… it's nothing." Katniss rose an eyebrow. Zelda looked back up at her, then away again. She could hear her muttering something. Something that she probably didn't want Katniss to hear. But she heard it anyway.

"Link…Link..." she was whispering repeatedly. Katniss's eyebrows shot up. Link? What was wrong with Link?

Zelda finally shook her head, and faced Katniss again. "It's nothing, Katniss. I'm alright."

It was an obvious lie.

The afternoon passed after Zelda had left. So did the night.

The next morning, Katniss was discharged from the hospital. She was instructed to speak only when necessary. She didn't have a schedule, so this was her free time.

A perfect time to get some answers. And to see her friends.

Katniss wandered over to a nurse who was standing in the hallway of the hospital. "Where's Link?" She asked the nurse. The nurse told her some simple directions to Link's room, and left. Katniss followed her directions, and came to stop at a door that was much like all the rest. She knocked.

"Who is it?" A doctor called from inside.

"Katniss Everdeen. I'm here to visit Link."

The doctor opened the door for her shortly, and stepped out of the way to let her through. Katniss looked around. Machines. Scales. Pumps. A bed. A body.

Katniss approached the bed cautiously. She watched the young man on the mattress stir until he lie awake. His eyebrows rose at the sight of her. He held a hand out to her. Like he was calling an old friend over without words. Which, he was. Katniss took it as she sat down on a stool.

Link clasped onto her hand tightly, gazing up at her. Katniss scooted closer, and laid a hand on his forehead. Link shut his eyes silently, feeling the warmth.

"You're alive," Katniss whispered after some time in silence. Link opened his eyes and nodded. She took her hand off his head. "How're you feeling?" Link simply shrugged. Katniss studied him.

He was mostly under sheets except for his arms, shoulders, and everything above that, but Katniss could clearly see deep marks on his skin. Rather dark circles under his eyes. He looked hungry.

Katniss sighed. "This is my fault." She whispered. Link's eyes widened as he shook his head frantically. "Link, I-" Link suddenly pressed his fingers to his friend's lips lightly, (not romantically, i promise) as if telling her not to talk about such things. Katniss sighed again.

That was when Link noticed her neck. Covered with bruises. Without a word, he slowly lowered his fingers to touch the marks, pulling away slightly when Katniss winced. He touched her neck again, lighter this time. He looked at Katniss, questions and worry etched into his face. Katniss shook her head.

"It's nothing. I'll… I'll explain when I think I'm ready to," was all she said before changing the subject. "I missed you," she told him. Link simply nodded without a word.

Without a word. Katniss knew that sometimes Link wouldn't speak, but he normally would've said something by now. Just to let her know that he was okay.

So why did he remain silent?

"You alright?" Katniss asked softly. Link hesitated before nodding. Again, not using words.

"Did you see Zelda?" Link nodded again, smiling slightly. Katniss couldn't help but smile back. But then… Link stopped. The smile just vanished. Katniss's left right after his did. Link shut his eyes and sighed.

Well that was sudden. There was definitely something wrong. Was Link trying to avoid speaking so that he would have to tell her what was going on?

"Link?" Katniss asked quietly. "What's the matter?" Link simply opened his eyes. He didn't look at her. But his eyes were sad.

"... Link…?" Katniss tried again cautiously. "It's… It's safe to tell me, you know."

Link shut his eyes again, furrowed his brow, and breathed in deeply, letting the air out slowly.

"Link, please," said Katniss softly. "Speak to me."

Now Link looked at her. He opened his mouth as if to finally speak, but then he shut it again. Then he swallowed. It was a strange swallow, as if he was struggling to do so. Why was it hard for him to swallow all of a sudden?

"Did Zelda not tell you?" Asked a voice behind her. Katniss turned to face the doctor who had been standing quietly by the door until now.

"Tell me what?" Katniss asked him.

"What the Capitol did to Link," was the reply. Katniss shook her head. Zelda hadn't told her anything, that was for sure.

The doctor sighed. "The Capitol did some… Things that cannot be healed… To your friend."

Katniss glanced down at Link, whose eyes were shut again. "Things like what?" Katniss asked in a hushed voice.

"Well…" said the doctor. "You know about Avoxes, right?" Katniss nodded, not knowing where he was going with this. "Then you would know what the Capitol would do to Avoxes?" Katniss hesitated before nodding again slowly. "the Capitol did something like that."

"What?" Katniss asked.

"...Miss Everdeen, are you _sure_ you remember what the Capitol does to Avoxes?"

Katniss nodded, growing impatient. "They cut their tongue."

"Exactly."

"What does that have to do with Link?"

"Miss Everdeen… The Capitol cut Link's tongue."

Katniss felt her eyes grow wide.

"No… No… They couldn't…"

"I'm sorry, miss Everdeen. The Capitol has muted Link. He'll never speak another word again."

* * *

Wow. I couldn't wait to get this chapter out to the world. Definitely took long enough.

Anyway. R&R plz!


	48. Chapter 47

Sorry for taking so freakin' long to update. unfortunately, this is probably another short, uneventful chapter

well, I still hope you enjoy!

* * *

Link opened his eyes to watch Katniss's reaction. Her mouth was moving, but no sound was heard. Like as if it was her own tongue that had been cut out.

Katniss turned toward him and stared. Link stared back. The room was silent until Katniss finally spoke up.

"This is my fault." She said softly before exiting the room. Link reached a hand for her, but it was too late. She was gone.

Link sighed as he lowered his arm and placed his hand on his chest. The doctor walked over to him after seeing his concerned expression, and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "She'll be alright," he told him. Link looked up at him, then lowered his eyes, and nodded. He turned his head away, burying the right side of his face into his pillow. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Link laid there like that for a few hours. He listened to the beeping of the machines that surrounded him. Measuring his heartbeat. Recording is breathing. Calculating his movements. A nurse stopped by to change his bandages.

And the entire time, Link was silent. He didn't say a word.

He couldn't.

He had refused to speak to the president. His only reward? To not speak forever.

Link suddenly felt a hand being placed over his own. He looked up, startled. He found himself looking into the blue eyes of another.

This was the second time Zelda had visited him since he had been rescued. The first time, she had been a mess.

" _Link, no!" She practically sobbed. "Please tell me it's not true!"_

 _Link merely stared at her with his sad eyes. This was enough to tell Zelda that it_ was _true. Zelda bent over and buried her face into his half-bare chest, seeing that it was covered with some bandages. She cried while Link silently stroked her golden hair._

" _They couldn't…" Zelda said between sobs. "How? How could they do this to you? It's just… Just terrible!"_

 _Link opened his mouth to respond, only to remember that any response he would've come up with wouldn't be able to leave his mouth. So he let Zelda cry into his chest._

She seemed to be a little better now. But there were some rather dark circles beneath her eyes.

Still touching Link's hand, she sat down on the stool next to his bed. She opened her mouth, about to speak. Then she shut it again. Then back open.

"How are you feeling?" She asked slowly. Link looked down and shrugged. Zelda sighed. She lowered her face into the crook of Link's neck. She laid there for a bit before barely whispering, "I love you…"

Link pressed his lips onto her forehead. " _I know you do",_ was what he was trying to say. Zelda understood. She tilted her head just enough for Link to lightly capture her lips in his. He didn't want to overdo it, knowing that anything around his mouth would probably taste like his own blood.

Zelda knew this too, but she didn't care. She deepened the kiss, like as if she were asking for more.

When they let go, Link placed a last kiss in between Zelda's eyes. He massaged Zelda's waist as she lowered her face into his chest again. Not to cry. Just for comfort. Her hand laid on Link's abdomen, which was covered by sheets and bandages. Link took his own hand, and placed it over hers. He pressed his lips into her hair.

Soon, Zelda was asleep.

* * *

Katniss speed walked through the halls.

She didn't exactly know where she was going. She didn't exactly care. All she could think about was Link.

Link and his silence.

 _Link should've killed me in first Hunger Games._ She thought. _Then he wouldn't be in this mess._

This turned into anger. At the Capitol. At herself. But also at Link.

 _Why Link!? Why did you have to help us!? You should've left us to die with the mutts! You could've lived a good, peaceful life! You could've been happy! With Zelda! But then you had to go and save two helpless star-crossed lovers who were being attacked._

 _Link, what did you do?_

 _Why, Link, why?_

Katniss suddenly stopped walking. _Why? Why did he do it?_

That was a good question. Why did Link save them in the first place?

 _I remember…_ thought Katniss. _He had said something… About being happy for us. Why? Why was he happy for us?_

… _Because he had no other way to be happy. He knew he was going to die. But that's not the only thing…_

Katniss thought back to all of her meetings with Link. The first chariot ride when Link gave her a thumbs up. The mutt attack. Being named victor. Watching him as he was reaped for the Quarter Quell. The next chariot ride, with Link in his splendid blazing white war outfit. The Quarter Quell itself. Watching him get beat up on television. Seeing him back now. Mute. Unable to speak.

The question was no longer "why." Now the question was "how."

 _How?_

 _How did Link do it?_

 _How could he possibly live with all this put on his shoulders? Even I, the Mockingjay, had never been tortured like him…_

There was something… There. Just there. Katniss never really noticed it or questioned it. But now, searching through her memories, she saw it. Right there.

On the back of his hand.

Something… it looked like it could've been glowing… Triangles. Three triangles.

Katniss also remembered seeing something like that on Link's ocarina. And in the hero's journal. The pattern was in that too. What did Zelda call it? A...Triforce? A symbol of the hero who tried to save district 14? Yes. She remembered.

Link had the Triforce, the symbol of the hero, on the back of his hand.

But what was it doing there?

"Katniss? You alright?"

Katniss turned, startled by the voice. She sighed in relief when she caught sight of Beetee. She nodded to answer his question.

Beetee shook his head knowingly. "Is it Peeta again?"

Oh yeah. For the moment, Katniss had forgotten about Peeta. But that wasn't what she was thinking about. So she shook her head.

"No?" Asked Beetee. "Katniss, I can tell there's something wrong. You can tell me."

Katniss swallowed. "It's Link," she said.

Beetee's eyebrows rose. "Link? What's wrong with Link?"

Katniss shook her head slowly. "The Capitol. They… Cut his tongue."

Beetee gasped, "they did not!" Katniss only nodded. "I'm so sorry Katniss. He was so close to you." Beetee shook his head. "I guess that means I have to make some changes to the Master Sword. See you around."

Katniss almost glared at him as he left. That's it? That's all he's getting from this? The fact that Link's Master Sword needed some changes?

She sighed, and continued on her way down the hall.

* * *

Finnick heard the news about Peeta and Link. He was devastated. Those two were some of the few people who actually liked him.

He would've visited Peeta, except he wasn't allowed to. So he went with Annie to find Link.

Link's bandages were being changed again when the two stepped in.

Both Annie and Finnick gasped at the sight.

Without the bandages, Link's torso looked as though it had been ripped to shreds, then taped back together. It was awful. It was a miracle he was still alive.

Once new bandages were back around his body, but the sheets were still off, Finnick and Annie approached him, and sat down, Finnick on the bed, Annie on the stool.

"Man, you look awful!" Finnick exclaimed to him. Link looked up at him with tired eyes. He managed a small smile. Finnick placed a hand on his shoulder, and squeezed it. Link laid his own hand on top of his arm. Then he put it back down on the mattress.

"Can't believe they would do that to you…" Finnick said quietly. Link shrugged. "So… I'm never going to be able to hear you speak again?" Sadly, Link shook his head.

Finnick growled. "I swearI'm going to _destroy_ the Capitol."

Annie, who has remained silent the entire time finally spoke up, even if it was rather quiet. "Is there… Anything we could do for you, Link? I really appreciate what you've tried to do for Finnick. You've been a true friend to him. And I'm really sorry… for… what they did to you."

They saw Link's eyes soften in appreciation. But he shook his head anyway.

"You sure?" Finnick asked. "Anything at all." Link smiled slightly, but still shook his head. Finnick nodded. "Alright." He reached towards the foot of the bed, and grabbed the sheets. He pulled them up to the center of Link's chest, then let go. Link nodded his thanks as he lifted his arms over the sheets and laid them down on top.

"... Did you hear about Peeta?" Finnick asked quietly. Link's expression suddenly morphed to show great concern.

 _Peeta? What about him? Is he alright?_

Finnick sighed. "I...I don't want to bother you any more than you all ready are…" he paused when Link rose an eyebrow at him. Finnick sighed again. "Peeta… The Capitol hijacked him."

Hijacking. Link had heard of that before. His jaw dropped. He shook his head slowly. _No… No, Finnick… Tell me it's not true…_

"It's true, Link. When Katniss entered his room, he nearly choked her to death with his bare hands. Boggs managed to knock him out before there was any permanent damage."

Link shut his mouth. He was clutching his sheets so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"I'm sorry, Link. I shouldn't have brought it up," Finnick told him. Link shook his head and placed a hand on Finnick's shoulder.

 _No… I'm glad you told me. Thanks...friend._

Finnick nodded understandingly. He glanced at his schedule. "I gotta hurry. You take care, Link."

Link watched them leave the room in silence.

… _Peeta's been hijacked… Katniss must be devastated._

 _What am I going to do?_

* * *

A few days ago, I tried out for the colorguard team at Homestead Highschool. I love colorguard, and have been doing it for four years straight. I don't mean to brag, but I think I was the most experienced person there who was auditioning. I was practically certain that I would make the team.

Just yesterday I heard the results.

I didn't make it.

Sorry. That was just something I wanted to say. Don't mind me.

again, sorry for the long wait. R&R plz!


	49. Chapter 48

Hello from the other side

I haven't called a thousand times

you know I real-y

am-bad

at changing the words to songs I hardly even know.

Yup, I'm an idiot. I have the next chapter up for you though!

* * *

"Can you stand?"

Link turned his head to face his doctor. He slowly sat up, pursing his lips and gritting his teeth against the pain. He set his bare feet down on the floor. Slowly, carefully, he pushed his body into a standing position. He nearly toppled over, but he grabbed his knees to keep his balance. He straitened his back, and looked back up at his doctor, who circled him, inspecting him.

His doctor laid a gentle hand on Link's back, and began to unwrap his bandages. Now Link stood in nothing but his boxers as his doctor instructed him to test certain body parts.

"Bend over real quick." Link obeyed silently. "Good." Link stood. "Hold out your arm." Link did so. "Alright." He put it back down. His doctor placed a few fingers on Link's chest. "Breath slowly for me." Link took a few slow breaths. The doctor moved his hand around Link's chest and back as he breathed.

It's been about five days since he had been rescued from the Capitol. He was getting better, but some parts of him still seemed broken. His lungs. His skin. His life. His heart.

Link lie back down on his bed for further inspection. The doctor checked what was left of his tongue. He looked at his scars from the beatings, seeing whether they were healing like they should have been. His belly. They've been feeding him, but he was still much thinner than he was supposed to be.

At last, his doctor plugged the morphling drip into his arm, and left.

Link sighed.

He had heard earlier that Katniss had left for District 2. He didn't exactly know what was going on over there. Only that it must have been important. He was told not to worry about it. That it would be bad for him to worry. But it was hard to not worry.

Oh, well. Nothing he could do about it.

A rather plump man suddenly stepped into the room. Link rose an eyebrow at Him.

"Hello, Link. Sorry for busting in like this, but I wanted to see you." He held out his hand. "Plutarch, Head Gamemaker. Don't worry, I'm not on the side of the Capitol." Link cautiously took his hand and shook it. "I'm terribly sorry about your tongue, but I've got things that I must discuss with you. As you can see, we rebles are fighting against the Capitol. We all look up to symbols of rebellions, like the Mockingjay, for example. Now, we've seen what you can do. You fight very well. You've survived being tortured by the Capitol. And you have a really powerful hero for an ancestor. So, we were wondering-"

"-Slow down, Plutarch, geez! You're gonna scare him." Another man that Link recognized to be Haymitch entered through the door. "He needs time."

"That sounds like something we don't exactly have," Plutarch told Haymitch. He turned back to Link. "Anyway, we were wondering if you would like to be a symbol of rebellion side by side with Katniss."

Link blinked. He wished that Plutarch had taken Haymitch's advice. He wasn't exactly ready to hear that. But… After hearing that…

 _How can I refuse? To help the rebels defeat the Capitol? I...I must. I have to help somehow… but it's like Haymitch said. I need time to think about it._

Haymitch seemed to understand. "Told you, Plutarch. Give him some time. You'll think over it, won't you?" He asked Link, who nodded. Plutarch shook his head, and left the room.

"Sorry 'bout him." Haymitch told Link. "he can get on one's nerves pretty easily." Link nodded. Haymitch left.

Link blinked.

… _Well that was fast._

But Link really did think it over. They wanted him to be a symbol of rebellion? Link wanted that too. He could help. He could make Snow pay. It would feel wonderful to help, which is completely different from sitting around being wounded and useless because he couldn't do anything about it. But now he was given a chance. Now he _could_ do something about it.

 _I could make my ancestor proud. I could protect the people in his place._

 _I'm not even afraid._

Just then, he felt something warm on his left hand. His brow furrowed in confusion. He lifted his hand to look at it.

Then he gasped.

Three triangles. Three golden triangles.

On the back of his hand.

 _The Triforce._

Link stared at the mark in shock. He noticed that the triangle In the bottom right-hand corner was glowing brighter than the others.

What was it again? Each of the triangles represented a specific… power. At least, that was what Link remembered reading in the hero's journal.

Power. That was the triangle on the very top.

Wisdom. The left-hand corner.

Courage. The one that lit up brighter than the rest.

Link remembered a little text that he had once read in the hero's journal.

 _I felt something strange on my left hand this afternoon. It wasn't long after I had managed to destroy the largest band of mutts I have ever seen. My hand felt warm, so I took a look at it. This is what I saw:_

There was a picture of the Triforce underneath the text.

 _The right-hand triangle was glowing a bit brighter than the others. I don't exactly know what it means. I'm confused._

Link remembered it word for word.

Later, the hero wrote that he had been figuring out about the mark, learning that if anyone had that mark on the back of their hand, then it meant that they held a piece of the Triforce.

The hero once held the Triforce of Courage.

Link now held the Triforce of Courage.

This Triforce of Courage… It felt like it was telling him… _Urging_ him to accept the role of symbol of rebellion.

He must have had this power for a long time now. It must have been helping him pull through. Helping his will to live. Giving him what he needed to survive.

But how? How long has he been holding this power?

His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened suddenly. He hid his hand underneath the sheets.

Zelda stepped in. She looked much better now. This was the first time Link had seen her _smile_ since he was rescued, even if that smile was really just a slight curve at the corners of her mouth. She was carrying something. Actually, it was _two_ things.

The hero's journal.

And his ocarina.

Link's eyebrows widened. Where did she get _those!?_ The journal was supposed to be back on District 14, and the ocarina was thought to be in the Capitol's hands. Link had it on him when he was captured.

Zelda knew that Link had questions. So she answered them.

"Katniss dropped by District 14 not long after you were captured. She found the journal in your house. And then Gale, Katniss's friend who had joined the rescue mission for you, Peeta, and the others, managed to find this and pick it up for you. His shoulder was wounded in the process of retrieving it. It's not too serious, though. Should I give him your thanks?" Link nodded. He now owed Gale.

"Here," said Zelda. She set the journal and the ocarina on Link's bedside before helping Link into a sitting position. She grabbed the ocarina, and handed it to him. "You're going to need to practice playing this without your tongue." Link smiled slightly. nodding. He slowly lifted the ocarina to his lips.

He blew into the instrument, playing a single note, nice and clear. He moved his fingers slightly. The note he had been playing before changed into something new. Then another note. And another.

Pretty impressive for one who had gotten his tongue cut out.

It was also pretty strange when Zelda saw his hand start to glow as soon as he began to play.

Link lowered the instrument when he had finished. Zelda stared at him. Link looked at her, confused.

"Your… Your hand… it's…"

Link looked down at the back of his left hand. The Triforce symbol was glowing brightly. Slowly, the light died down. The Triforce became a simple mark.

Link turned to Zelda again.

"The… The way you played… And how that mark...just...lit up… That's… That's impossible!" said Zelda. "you can't just play that well without a tongue-" Link gently placed two fingers on her lips, silencing her for the moment. He took his hand, and pretended to write on it with his finger, asking without the use of words for something to write on.

Zelda quickly nodded and brought him what he requested.

Link wrote in swift, neat strokes. _Have you been reading the journal?_

Zelda nodded.

 _How much do you know about the symbol on my hand?_

Zelda shrugged. "I read that the hero had something like that on the back of his own hand. I learned that it was called the Triforce. That's really it."

Link nodded. _Yeah, that's what I once read too. There are three parts to the Triforce: Power, Wisdom, and Courage. The mark shows that I have the Triforce of Courage._

"Really?" asked Zelda. "What does it do?"

 _I don't really know. The hero didn't either. But he did note that it would start to glow brighter in moments of strength. It also seemed to bring the hero luck in moments of weakness or inability. How else could he have had a horde of Peacekeepers on his tail and survive for a few hours? It's impossible. I think… I think the Triforce of Courage just now helped me play that ocarina, even though I didn't have what it takes._

"That's… Amazing," said Zelda softly. Link smiled softly at Zelda. This was one of those moments when she looked absolutely beautiful.

Zelda asked another question. "But… If you have Courage, then who has Wisdom and Power."

Link shook his head. It was a good question. One that he did not have the answer to. He decided to change the subject.

 _Um...Plutarch and Haymitch came into my room today._

"Huh? Why?"

 _They… Well, at least Plutarch...wanted to know if I wanted to fight for the rebs as a symbol of rebellion. I think I should, but I won't do it if you don't want me to. I… Couldn't stand leaving you again if you didn't want to be left._

"They came to you already?" Asked Zelda. Link have her a confused look.

 _Already?_

Zelda nodded. "I thought they would wait until you were fully healed."

… _You knew?_

She nodded again. "They told me weeks ago. I think you should, Link. Just… Please be careful.

… _Zelda, are you sure about this? I don't want to…_

"Yes. I'm sure." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "But I'm very glad that you care about what I think." She leaned over, and kissed Link on the cheek. Link smiled.

 _Thank you Zelda._

* * *

Short, like always. sorry about that.

R&R plz!


	50. Chapter 49

Warning: short, lame, boring, extremely short (did I already say that?), uneventful, not worth the wait (but I'm still secretly hoping that it will be...)

carry on.

* * *

Plutarch and Haymitch entered Link's room the next morning.

And Link already knew what they wanted.

"So," asked Plutarch. "Did you decide?" Haymitch rolled his eyes. Of course that was the first thing Plutarch would've asked.

To their surprise, Link nodded.

"Really?" Asked Haymitch. "You've already decided?" Link nodded again.

"So, what'll it be?" Plutarch pushed. "Just nod if it's a yes, or shake your head if it's a no."

Link nodded a third time. Yes. He'll do it. For the rebels. For the people he loved. He'll become a symbol of rebellion. He'll fight the President. The one who had his tongue cut out. The one who had Peeta hijacked.

And he was determined to win.

"...That's… that's great!" exclaimed Plutarch. Link smiled slightly. He wondered how Plutarch would react to the news.

"Well then," continued Plutarch. "I guess it's time to tell you. We've been hoping you'll say yes for a long time. I mean, even before you were rescued."

Link rose a confused eyebrow. He watched Haymitch roll his eyes for the second time since he had arrived.

"Like," continued Plutarch. "We've designed and created some armor meant for your use and your use only."

Now both of Link's eyebrows were up. _Really?_ He thought. _That's… I mean… wow… thanks! That's neat!_

He knew that now was probably not the best time to be thinking such thoughts. This was a real battle. A real war. It wasn't supposed to be taken lightly. But still, Link liked the thought of having something made just for him to use in said war.

Plutarch chuckled. "I knew you'd like the idea. Well, we'll leave you to your thoughts, then." Without another word, Plutarch and Haymitch exited the room.

 _...What the heck is up with them? They come unexpectedly and leave quickly._

 _...Oh, well._

* * *

Zelda was down in the dining hall eating her breakfast. Grubby porridge with dry toasted bread. Yum.

Finnick and Annie approached the young woman, and sat down across from her.

"You don't mind, do you?" Finnick asked Zelda, who shook her head.

"Not at all."

Finnick nodded. He set his tray down on table, along with his elbows. His chin rested on his folded hands. He waited a moment before asking quietly, "how's Link?"

Zelda looked down slightly. "He's fine… Considering his tongue."

"Yeah… We're so sorry, Zelda."

Zelda only shook her head. "I've started to get over it, if only slightly. But I'm alright."

"If you say so."

Zelda sighed and waited a few moments in silence. "... Tell me, Finnick. When did you first consider Link to be your friend?"

"Hm…" Finnick thought back to the Quarter Quell. "Well, as soon as I saw him in person at the Quarter Quell opening ceremony, I knew he'd be a good friend to have. I watched him. He was dressed in that amazing outfit that made him look like a god of some kind. But the way I saw him speak to Katniss and Peeta… It made me realize that it would be nice to have a friend like that. The first night of the actual Games was when I was certain I wanted him as a friend. If you remember, that was the night with the poisonous fog. He decided to carry Mags, even though he knew that he was risking his own life. And then there was the moment when he and Katniss were teasing me because I didn't like the ointment that we had to use on our skin to keep it from itching. I felt an almost brotherly connection to him in that moment. We only got closer after that."

"I remember," said Zelda. "The two of you wrestled on the last day. I'll admit, that was quite amusing to watch."

Finnick chuckled. "I bet Peeta's encouragements helped him a bit. Beetee, on the other hand, was no help at all." Zelda giggled. Finnick shook his head. "Link whupped me that night. But it was for fun… just like how brothers should act." He sighed, crossed his arms on the table, and rested his head on them. "I'm… I'm so sorry, Zelda. I wish I could've protected him. He might not have gotten captured if I did. He wouldn't have been hurt. Tortured. Beaten. He… He might not have lost the ability to speak."

Zelda shook her head. "You did what you were supposed to do. Don't worry about it, Finnick. It's not your fault. Even if it was, I'd forgive you. Link would forgive you too."

Finnick peeked up at her through his arms. "You sure?"

"I'm certain," came the reply. Finnick sighed, but didn't sit back up. Annie rested a gentle hand on his back until he did so. Finnick then snapped out of his thoughts about Link, and gave Zelda a goofy grin.

"I meant to comfort _you_ on the subject, but it turned out to be me who needed the comforting!" He said. Zelda smiled and shook her head slightly.

"Link is healing. I can assure you that. Don't worry about him, Finnick. Although, he may need some friends close by. People he can hang on to. Like me. Like you. Like Katniss." Zelda shrugged as she lifted her empty tray. "I better hurry. See you around!" Finnick and Annie gave Zelda their farewells as she left.

Annie slowly turned to Finnick. "...Link's like the brother you never had." It was a statement, not a question. Finnick agreed with a nod. Annie laid her head on his shoulder. She took a breath.

"How about another visit soon? But just the two of you. I wouldn't come along."

Finnick looked down at her. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all. Go see your brother when you have the chance, okay?"

Finnick nodded. "Okay."

* * *

Don't say I didn't warn you.

I just got back from Washington DC yesterday morning! That was fun!

R&R plz!


	51. Chapter 50

Okay, this is my attempt to write a longer chapter. (mostly to make up for the last one)

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 _He was running. Through a forest._

 _Where did the forest come from?_

 _He could hear them following him. Of course they would follow him. They hated him. They wanted to kill him. That would explain why every single one of them was armed._

 _He turned his head to look at them as he ran. To find their position._

 _They were getting closer, their guns ready to attack. That wasn't good. If they caught up to him too quickly, then his attempt to draw them out would be in vain, and his dead body would be theirs._

 _Well, he knew he was going to die. He just had to stay alive for a little bit longer.a_

 _Suddenly, he jumped an unnatural height, and clung onto a branch of one of the surrounding trees._

 _He heard the bullets go off below him. They were shooting at him. But they never touched him. The back of his hand was glowing. They couldn't touch him._

 _He climbed higher into the tree, and lost himself in the branches, allowing his forest green tunic to blend in with the leaves around him. The bullets stopped. They didn't want to run out of ammunition, wasting it all on a man who couldn't be seen._

 _He crouched down on a sturdy branch. He loaded his own gun._

 _Actually, this was more like one of those old-fashioned guns. Ones that they used long ago. Ones that used arrows instead of bullets. It was a bow._

 _He spotted the white uniform of the nearest enemy through the leaves and branches. He aimed his bow at him. He pulled back the string, and released. The enemy fell over, dead._

 _Immediately, they turned toward the direction of which the arrow came from. It started to rain bullets._

 _He was not a fool. He had seen this coming before it started. He began to jump nimbly from tree to tree at unnatural speeds. Finally, the rain of bullets stopped. So did he._

 _He loaded his now for a second time, this time with three arrows instead of one. He aimed at three of them, and let go of the string. The three he aimed for died on the spot._

 _Over and over he shot them. Sometimes he took out multiple at a time, just like the three of them before._

 _Time passed as they all died by the hands of one man. A great man. A one man army._

 _He kept attacking from afar._

 _And then he realized that it was enough. He had run out of arrows, anyway._

 _He hopped to some of the trees behind the ones who still remained, which was still quite a lot, and dropped down noiselessly. He swung his bow over his shoulder, and drew his sword, which was attached to his back._

 _Just as they turned to face him, he lunged._

 _He charged into the pack, slashing in all directions. They started to shoot at him again. But the back of his hand was glowing still. They couldn't touch him. Not yet, anyway._

 _But it would be over soon. He knew that. He was only human. Humans don't last forever._

 _His power was fading, if only slightly. Bullets now would graze his arms, leaving cuts, bright red with his blood. But he ignored the pain, and continued to focus on the task at hand._

 _There were only ten left._ Only ten.

 _He flipped skillfully over another bullet that was heading for him. But he was growing tired. No, humans don't last forever._

 _He took another swing with his sword at the three closest to him. All three fell over, dead._

 _He turned to face the seven that remained._

 _That turn was his downfall._

 _There was a sharp BANG! as a bullet headed towards him. A sharp pain followed soon after._

 _A sharp pain in the heart._

 _He stood there, eyes wide, mouth open slightly, shocked. The back of his hand still glowed, but it was faint. It was still trying to save him, but in vain. It only prevented him from dying for a few seconds. He had enough time to glance at his torso._

 _His once green tunic was now red and slick with blood._ His _blood._

 _He looked back up at them._

 _Then he collapsed._

 _He landed on the ground, hard._

 _He didn't move._

 _He didn't breath._

 _His heart didn't beat._

 _The Hero...was dead._

* * *

Link jolted awake to find himself back in the hospital. Not the forest. There were no Peacekeepers following him. No bullets to dodge. No blood.

It was just a dream. Just a nightmare.

But that was just it. It truly _has_ happened. A long time ago.

Link had read about it in the hero's journal once. After the hero died, they brought his body back to District 14. They searched him, and found the journal in a pouch by his hip. Soon after they found it, a friend of the hero managed to snatch the journal away. Saria, Link remembered the name of the friend to be. She overheard the Peacekeepers talking about the death of the hero, and wrote it down in the journal.

Link sighed as he relaxed back in his bed. He glanced at a clock.

 _2:40 PM_

Link blinked. How long had he been asleep?

It's been eight days since the victors have been rescued. They've all been healing slowly. But, despite the slowness, Link was feeling much better already.

But then Plutarch had to ruin it by busting in through the door.

 _Again._

"Good afternoon to you, Link. It's time to start fixing you up and turning you into a symbol of rebellion!"

 _Ugh!_ Link rolled his eyes. _Give me a break! I know I agreed to do this, but I'm not ready to start right away!_

His doctor entered the room. He looked at the two of them, confused.

"Erm…" said the doctor. "What? Excuse me, but may I ask what you're doing here?"

"Ah, yes," said Plutarch. "I'm here to collect Link to be fitted into his rebellion uniform."

The doctor blinked. "Does it have to be done this minute, sir?"

"Well, I don't see why not." Said Plutarch.

"Sir… He's still healing. He needs time."

"And we need him! He is very important to this war!"

Link simply watched the argument, which was not unlike a tennis match, in silence.

The doctor finally sighed in defeat once the argument was over. "Before you take him, I must check to see if he is physically capable of walking to your destination." He nodded to Link, motioning for him to stand.

Link mentally rolled his eyes again as he pushed himself to a sitting position, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Slowly, carefully, he stood upright on the ground.

The doctor nodded. "Now take a few steps forward."

Link hadn't walked for several days, so he knew this was going to be a little tricky.

Actually, it wasn't that bad. He managed to take a few small, rather slow steps away from the bed and back again. The doctor nodded again, satisfied, if only barely.

"Alright, you can take him," he told Plutarch. "Just go slow, and don't push him too hard."

Plutarch waved a dismissive hand. "Yes, yes. Alright. Let's get a move on then, shall we?" Link frowned as he looked down at himself. He wore nothing but a thin hospital gown. The doctor actually chuckled at this.

"I believe that Link would like something more suitable to wear in public. I shall be right back."

The doctor left, then returned a few minutes later with a change of gray clothes, which Link dressed into gratefully.

"When you are finished with your… Rebellion preparations, I would like you to return here. Understand? " the doctor asked Link. Link nodded. "Good. See you later."

And _then_ Plutarch and Link left the hospital.

* * *

Link was taking it easy, like instructed. He followed Plutarch through the complicated halls.

Finnick suddenly popped up from behind a corner.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, having caught sight of Link. "Link! I had no idea you'd be out of your bed. I was just about to come visit you."

Link smiled slightly. Finnick was a true friend.

"Um, may I ask where you two are going?"

"Down to the prep room," Plutarch answered him. "We need to fit him into his uniform."

"Isn't it a little, uh, too-" Finnick stopped when Link covered his mouth. Finnick looked down at Link's hand, then back up at Link.

Link nodded at him. _Yes, Finnick, it_ is _too soon for this. Don't tell that to Plutarch."_ He seemed to be saying. Finnick rolled his eyes as Link let go of his mouth. He chuckled

"Mind if I join you?" Finnick asked.

"Not at all," replied Plutarch.

So the three of them slowly made their way to the prep room together.

* * *

They finally arrived at their destination.

And Link didn't know what to do.

Plutarch left Finnick and Link for a few minutes before returning a few minutes later with a woman who had a bundle of green clothes in her arms.

"Link, this is Fulvia, my assistant," Plutarch introduced the woman. Fulvia nodded her greeting, and handed the green clothes over to Link.

"Would these look familiar to you?" She asked him. Link studied the clothes, and nodded. Of course. They were designed after the hero's clothes. Forest green tunic with a matching green cap that fell down his back.

"Excellent. I need you to go get changed in these clothes, okay? Just step out when you're ready." Link nodded, and entered a nearby restroom to do so.

It took him a while. Most of his strength still hadn't returned, making it a bit difficult. But in the end, he managed on his own.

When he stepped back into the prep room, he found Finnick, Plutarch, and Fulvia waiting for him.

"Wow." Finnick mouthed to him.

Link smiled back at him. It felt wonderful to be back in his hero's clothes again. It was almost like he was born to wear it.

"Marvelous!" Plutarch exclaimed. "You look great. And now, for the audition."

Link rose an eyebrow. _Audition?_

Fulvia explained to him. "You're a symbol of rebellion. We need you. You need something that will protect you well. We've designed some armor that was created for your use, and your use only."

Oh, yeah. Link remembered Plutarch mentioning that once…

Plutarch suddenly arrived with his armor.

Fulvia took it from Plutarch's arms, and began helping Link into it.

Once he was fully suited, he took a look at himself in the mirror.

The armor was green, but darker than his hero's tunic. The torso of the armor outlined the large muscles he had on his chest and abdomen. The general shape of the armor was similar to that of the armor he wore in the opening ceremony of the Quarter Quell. On the left side of his chest was the symbol of the Triforce. It was gold, and so polished that it looked like it could've been glowing. Link turned away from the mirror to get a glimpse of his back. Another symbol he had once seen in the hero's journal was painted in blood red on his back. The symbol resembled the wings of a bird. (Hylian crest without the Triforce)

Link turned back to Plutarch, Fulvia, and Finnick, grinning. Plutarch and Finnick were grinning right along with him. But Fulvia said, "there's something missing… Aha!" She hurried off.

After watching her go, Finnick approached Link.

"Man, you look great!" He placed a hand on Link's metal shoulder. "Ha. Haha. I swear, you're going to scare the Capitol right out of it's skin just by showing up. You need some kind of threatening look to go with it… Give me one."

Link pursed his lips, and shrugged. He tried to put on his most threatening look possible. Death glare.

Finnick actually jumped. "... Okay… You are definitely going to scare the Capitol right out of it's skin with that look. You can stop now."

Link relaxed his face, and smiled. Finnick still looked shaken up. Link simply patted his shoulder as Fulvia reentered the room with something else in her arms.

She walked up to Link, placed whatever it was she was carrying over his green cap, and snapped the sides shut. A helmet.

Link looked back at himself in the mirror. The helmet was the same color as the rest of the armor. It was nice and snug on his head. The sides closed comfortably around his jawbone. It also had holes cut out just so that his pointed ears could stick out. But his ears still had some metal backing behind them. The forehead came down to a point in the middle, and the point came down to the center of his nose. Painted on the forehead was some swirly diamond pattern. (Think about the pattern wolf link has on his forehead.) The back of the helmet was just like his pointed cap. It fell down his back at a point. It flowed, but it was still made of metal.

 _Wow,_ Link mouthed to himself in the mirror. He didn't need a tongue to say the word.

"Wow," said Finnick behind him. Link turned to meet his gaze.

"Oh, no. Don't go 'wowing' just this moment. You haven't seen the whole thing...Yet."

* * *

Let me know how it was!

R&R plz!


	52. Chapter 51

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY FOR THE FREAKIN' LONG WAIT!

okay, I had written this chapter a LONG time ago, but I never felt like posting it until recently. That is literally my only excuse. What makes me feel worse is that I seriously doubt that this chapter is worth the wait.

Well, if you're still interested, then you can still read on, I guess.

* * *

Just because he looked awesome didn't mean that his legs had gotten any stronger. Link still had to take it easy when it came to walking down the complicated halls for the second time that day, especially now that he had some rather heavy armor on. It wasn't really _that_ heavy, in the future he would need to be light on his feet, but it sure _felt_ heavy after being placed on his currently weak and somewhat sore shoulders.

Link hadn't been told where they were headed, yet. Plutarch and Fulvia wanted it to be a "surprise." Finnick didn't seem to know where they were going either. He simply stayed back with Link to make sure he didn't stumble. For that, Link was grateful.

There was something about Finnick that Link had noticed. Finnick seemed to carry that friendly aura. There was something else, too. Link couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew it was there.

 _Brotherly._

Yes, that was it. _Brotherly._ Finnick carried a friendly, brotherly aura. He was a person who Link knew he could trust. Someone who could make him at peace. Like a true brother.

Link smiled to himself. Finnick. His brother. He wondered what Finnick would think about that.

"What?" Finnick asked with a smile in his voice. Link was startled out of his thoughts. He blinked and faced Finnick. Finnick must have seen Link smile, and was probably wondering where it came from. Link continued to smile as he simply shook his head. Finnick chuckled at this and looked down at the floor.

The four of them stepped into an elevator, and stood for a few minutes, waiting to reach the floor that their destination was on.

While waiting, Link gingerly placed his hands on the sides of his helmet, opened the sides, lifted it off his head, and snapped the sides shut again. He brought the helmet down into view, and studied it.

It was amazing what people could do with metal these days. Than again, he should know how to do it, he was raised in the ironworking district.

Whatever.

The helmet fit Link perfectly, like it was supposed to. The back, designed after his cap, looked like it was made of those spherical hinge-like-things, allowing the metal to flow with Link's movements. The design on the forehead of the helmet caught Link's eye. Strange swirls with a diamond pattern. It looked rather feral. Did it mean something?

Finnick watched his movements from the side, seeing Link's eyes light up. He looked happy. Link's face suddenly broke into a grin as he continued to look at the helmet from all angles. Yep, he was happy.

They soon found themselves on right floor. They all had to go through security twice before finally entering the room that they had been heading for.

Link gaped at all of the rows of impossible weapons that lined the walls. Giant, deadly weapons. Bows, tridents, anything anyone could've wanted to use to kill.

Beetee left his spot in the corner and approached the four.

"Hello, and welcome to Special Defence!" said Beetee. "Nice to see you, Link. I hope you've been feeling better lately, and I'm truly sorry about your tongue."

Link simply nodded to him.

Beetee smiled back. "Do you know why you've been brought down here, Link?" To this, Link shook his head. "Well, you're about to find out." Beetee suddenly left the room.

Link turned to his company and rose an eyebrow. Plutarch and Fulvia grinned back at him, while Finnick merely shrugged.

Beetee returned before long with a golden and blue sheath. Link could see the hilt of what looked like a sword poking out of the top of the sheath. Beetee walked up to him, and handed the sheath to him, holding it horizontally.

Link simply looked down at it in Beetee's hands, and blinked twice.

"Go ahead and take it," Beetee told him. "It's for you."

Link blinked again before gingerly wrapping his fingers around the sheath. He lifted it out of Beetee's hands. He looked up at Beetee.

Beetee nodded at him, smiling. "Remove it from the sheath. Go on." Link again looked down at the sheath. He carefully placed his left hand on the hilt of the sword, and slowly pulled it out as he lay the empty sheath on the floor. He pointed the tip of the sword at the ceiling, holding it at arm's length in front of him.

He studied it. The hilt was purple, and looked like the wings of a bird. In the center was a golden-colored diamond that looked like it could shine as brightly as the sun if light was to shine on it at just the right angle. The blade had the symbol of the Triforce engraved on it. The handle was comfortable to hold. Link noted that it truly was a beautiful sword.

Suddenly, the blade began to glow.

Link nearly dropped the weapon in surprise. The glow was rather faint, but it was definitely there. Link looked up at a grinning Beetee for answers.

"It answers to your touch," Beetee explained. "Only your touch." Link's eyebrows rose.

"I originally designed it to answer to your voice, like what I did for Katniss's bow and Finnick's trident. But then, well, you know."

Link stared down at the sword in his hands. It… It was almost like _magic._ A glowing blade, answering to his touch, and his touch only.

"We named it the Master Sword, after the blade that the hero once wielded back in his day."

Link continued to stare at the sword until he felt something warm appear on his hand. He looked down at it to find that his Triforce was glowing. Like it was welcoming the sword. It felt so _right._ Almost like the sword had once belonged to him in a past life...

But that wasn't possible. Beetee had only created this sword weeks ago.

The glow of his Triforce faded. Link looked up at the others, but they were too entranced by the sword's glow to notice his hand's glow.

"Wanna try it out?" Beetee suddenly asked Link.

Link gave him a toothy and almost mischievous grin. _Do I?_

* * *

The wooden poles that had been set up in advance suddenly found themselves to be at the mercy of Link's blade. He slashed at them as if they were the real enemies. That pole over there was President Snow. And the one up ahead was the Peacekeeper who killed the hero. And there were the torturers who had nearly broken Link not to long ago.

He took it all out on the poles as he chopped them to bits. His anger. His frustration. His pain. His fear. His brokenness. All of those lashes and beatings. The rod with tiny spikes. The electrocution. The chains. Everything that had started his world of hurt. The Games. The Quarter Quell. Peacekeepers.

Link was no longer the innocent goatherd living in District 14. Now, he was a Hunger Games victor. A symbol of rebellion. A descendant of a powerful hero. The wielder of the Triforce of Courage and of the Master Sword. He would tear down those Peacekeepers while running side-by-side with the Mockingjay. He'd find Snow. Run him through.

And nothing could stand in his way.

The last wooden pole shattered as the blade of the Master Sword slammed into it. Link stared straight ahead of him, not focusing on anything in particular. His breathing was calm despite his work on the poles and his anger on those who had caused him pain.

He could feel the Triforce glowing faintly. Technically, Link shouldn't have been able to cut through those poles like he did. His body was still weak from beatings. But the Triforce helped him.

The only problem was that everybody else in the room didn't know that. Which would probably explain the stunned and almost fearful looks they were giving him.

Link looked back at Plutarch, Fulvia, Beetee, and Finnick from where he stood. Yep, their expressions were almost priceless. But Link knew he shouldn't be thinking like that. He must have scared them half to death with his actions. To assure them that everything was fine and that he wasn't going insane, Link flashed them a grin. A real grin. Link was truly happy, especially now that he got a chance to take out his anger with his amazing new sword.

The grin seemed to do the trick, seeing that everyone calmed down. Finnick even smiled right back at him.

"So, you like it?" Beetee asked Link, referring to the sword. Link nodded. His eyes were lit up like those of a child on Christmas. "Good. The sword shall be kept here until you are fully healed, and the armor shall remain with Plutarch." Link nodded again, understanding. Beetee nodded back. "I believe that the hospital is missing you. You should go. And good luck, Link." With that, Beetee left the room.

* * *

Plutarch, Fulvia, Finnick, and Link exited the room soon after Link finished changing back into his normal clothes. Plutarch and Fulvia went their own ways, and Finnick offered to lead Link back up to his bed in the hospital.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes.

Finnick finally spoke up. "How long have we known each other again?"

Link hummed in thought.

"we only met a few months ago, right?" Finnick asked. Link nodded.

 _Yes. I suppose we haven't known each other very long._

"It's funny," continued Finnick. "I feel like we've known each other all our lives. But it hasn't even been half a year." Link nodded in agreement, smiling slightly. "Would you think that's a good sign? Feeling like you've known someone forever?" Link pursed his lips in thought. He nodded again, slowly.

Finnick smiled slightly. "What would our fondest memories of each other be? Like that time you beat me to a pulp when we were wrestling during the Quell." Link smiled when the memory Finnick spoke of resurfaced from the back of his mind.

"Or, what about the fog? That beat the bloody pulp out of _both_ of us. It really hurt, didn't it?" Link nodded, trying to count how times he had collapsed once that fog had reached him.

"And then there was the part that came _after_ the fog. Ugh. At least I wasn't the only one lying on the sand with enormous blisters all over my body." Link nodded again. He, himself had joined Finnick down there on the ground with enormous blisters all over his body.

"...I want to ask… Why did you seem to trust me immediately? I mean, you didn't look at me in strange, murderous fashions like Katniss did at first. I would've thought that you would side with Katniss, then. You were _her_ friend first, after all."

Link turned his gaze away from Finnick.

Finnick sighed. "Oh, right. You can't exactly answer that. Sorry for the question." He sighed again. "You've been my friend, Link, ever since the Quarter Quell. I just… I guess I just wanted you to know that."

Link glanced at him. Finnick was looking at him. He smiled slightly. Link returned the smile, gently clasping a hand on his shoulder.

"Broth- I mean… Link, I think I also wanted to say... 'thank you.' Because of you, I still had someone I knew I could trust, even after I had been taken away from the ones I love… Again."

Link rose his eyebrows when Finnick nearly called him "brother." he looked down at his feet as he continued to walk.

Before he knew it, they were back in the hospital.

The doctor immediately instructed Link to dress back in his hospital gown and lie down. Link rolled his eyes, but obeyed.

Finnick stood beside Link. He began to speak.

"I guess what I was trying to say earlier is that... I think of you as my brother. I just hope you can see me like that too." With that, he left.

* * *

Again, so sorry for the wait

R&R plz!


	53. Chapter 52

...

...

...

..

I'm not dead.

School and lazyness.

My only excuse.

I'm so sorry,

but I don't think I'm going to be updating again for a very long time.

* * *

More days passed. Steadily, things were getting better.

Zelda knocked on the door to Link's hospital room. To her surprise, it wasn't the doctor who answered the door, but Link himself.

"Oh!" Zelda exclaimed. "Link, you're walking!"

Link smiled sadly at her. He stood tall, not slouching, and his legs seemed to be working quite well. He stepped aside to let Zelda into the room.

"I take it you're feeling better?" Zelda asked him as she stepped through the door. Link nodded silently. Zelda stood on her toes and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "That's great." She smiled. Link returned it.

"So, when are you out of the hospital?"

Link grabbed a paper and pencil from the table next to his bed.

 _I can leave whenever, now. I just need to remember to come back for some checkups. I was about to come find you, in fact, but then… You know._

"Oh, wow, Link! That's great news!" Zelda giggled. Link couldn't help but grin back at her.

Zelda took a hold of Link's hand, and led him through the hallways and out of the hospital. After that, they just wandered. Aimlessly walking around district 13 hand in hand. It was what the two of them have wanted for so long. To have each other again.

Link suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway, turned to face Zelda, and locked her lips in his own. He could sense Zelda's surprise at Link's sudden actions, but she gave in quickly, placing her free hand on his muscled chest.

After a few seconds, Link slowly released Zelda's lips, gave her one more quick kiss, then pulled away completely. Except for their hands, which were still interlocked.

Their walk continued.

"Link, I heard that Katniss is coming back to 13 tomorrow," Zelda spoke. Link looked down at her. _Really?_ His eyes seemed to say. Zelda nodded.

"Yeah. There's another thing, too." She stopped in front of Link, pausing their walk for a second time. "It's about Peeta."

Link's eyebrows rose. He hadn't been hearing much of Peeta for the past several days. All he understood was that he had been hijacked, and that he thought that Katniss was a mutt. A weapon of the Capitol.

Link will personally never forgive them.

"They have been trying to convince Peeta who his friends really are by sending some old friends into his room. None of them have been too successful, but they wanted to try sending you in there."

Link looked at the ground in thought. Peeta didn't know who was friend or foe. He needed help. All the help he could get. Link wanted to be part of that help. Yes. Peeta needed him.

Link looked up at Zelda and nodded.

* * *

Peeta laid on a bed that sat him up halfway. There were three restraints on each arm, and a tube could disperse a knock-out drug just in case he got too...crazy.

Link knew that the doctors were watching him. They must have gotten together behind the one-sided glass in the northern side of the room. They must have had their equipment to take notes with. Link wished that he could just talk to Peeta in private, but it was not to be.

Peeta didn't appear to be conscience at the moment, seeing that his eyes were closed. But when Link silently approached his bed, Peeta's eyes snapped open and pointed in his direction. At first, Peeta showed no signs of recognition. He simply stared at Link, maybe feeling a bit confused. Link stared back. This lasted for about a minute.

Finally, Peeta blinked.

"...L…Link?" He whispered. Link walked even closer to the bed. "Link… Is it really you?"

Link did nothing but stare for a few seconds before nodding.

"You're alive…" Peeta said quietly. Link nodded again.

"But…The Capitol…they had you…l watched them beat you…you…did you try to protect me…?"

Link's eyes became distant as he remembered the night he was aired live on television. The pain. The blood. That was the night he threw himself in front of Peeta to protect him. The night his tongue was cut out.

"...Link?"

Link snapped back to attention, then hesitated before nodding.

Peeta sighed, leaning his head against the bed.

"... Thank you for that." Peeta finally said.

Link allowed a sad smile to appear on his lips.

"... Are we in District Thirteen?" Peeta asked. Link nodded again, and again Peeta sighed. "I thought so. So, what's it like here? I mean, I've been stuck in this room since I arrived… So…"

Link wished he could answer his question, but he simply settled for a shrug instead.

"What's wrong with you, Link? I...I remember that you never did talk too much, but this is different."

Link turned his face toward the far wall. He attempted to swallow.

"What was that?" Peeta asked after watching Link struggle to swallow his own saliva. "Link, please, what's wrong with you? You're acting as if you don't have a tongue."

Link faced Peeta again. At that moment, Peeta saw the look in Link's eyes, and got the hint.

"You… You don't _have_ a tongue, do you." It was more of a statement than a question.

Link shook his head slowly.

Peeta suddenly growled. "It's that mutt's fault…" his voice was low with anger and his fists were clenched. "She knew. She knew this was going to happen to us. You're tongue. She didn't do anything to stop it. Why did we trust her? Why did we TRUST HER!?" he suddenly began pulling against his restraints. "We have to kill her! Before she gets everybody! We have to KILL KATNISS!"

Link's eyes widened in surprise. So it was true. Peeta had been hijacked.

Peeta saw his reaction. "Oh, no no no, please. You _can't_ trust her, Link. You _can't._ Please tell me you don't, Link, please!"

Link did nothing but stare.

"No, Link! Don't trust her!" Peeta's voice rose. "Please Link! She'll kill you! She let your tongue get cut out! She's waiting for the right moment to stab you in the back!"

Link only stared.

"You're my friend, Link, I can't let her do that to you! DON'T TRUST HER, LINK, PLEASE!"

At that moment, the knockout drug entered his body. Peeta suddenly lost consciousness.

Link continued to stare at the unconscious body with sad eyes. Peeta didn't know what he was talking about. He couldn't trust anybody. Link had known that. Poor Peeta. Poor Katniss. He couldn't imagine the pain they were feeling right now. They probably both felt betrayed.

In that moment, Link decided to be the friend to both of them that they couldn't be to each other.

He left the room.

Zelda stood waiting outside the door, having just watched the action that had happened inside the room through a screen attached to the wall. When Link appeared, she approached him. She studied his sad, pained eyes. Her hand wandered up to his face, and cupped his cheek softly. Link sighed before taking his own hand and placing it over hers. Slowly he lowered her hand to his mouth and lightly kissed her palm, closing his eyes and breathing in Zelda's scent deeply.

"I'm sorry," Zelda told him quietly. Link responded by taking her lips into his own. He pulled away after a few seconds.

Zelda sighed as she buried her face in his warm chest. Link stroked her hair.

 _What am I going to do?_

* * *

so short

so sorry

R&R plz


End file.
